The art of building a good bonfire - any hints and tips

[handlemecarefully]

We are going to do our own fireworks and bonfire in our garden.

Have never built a bonfire before and neither has dh. Anybody care to share with me a quick 'how to' guide?

Cheers

from experience of shite bonfires....

make sure the wood is DRY
make sure you have something to light it with (a few firelighters strategically placed is a good idea imo)
make sure it can't burn anything it shouldn't (fave plants/next doors fence/yourself)
DO NOT put foireworks in it to liven it up!
Light it when its still light and when its settled down a bit shove some spuds in

sorry, its a completely tongue in cheek reply

Lol, I wasn't planning on including fireworks in it.

don't build it too early because hedgehogs or other animals (next doors cat) may go and camp underneath it... I don't need to go any further do I?

Erm, have sand and water ready to put it out if all goes wrong.

put lots of small sticks in the middle at the bottom (along with strategically placed firelighters a la mumofmonsters tip )& the bigger ones on top.

check for hedgehogs before lighting

where are you having it? have you thought of how you will stop it spreading?

OMG - I don't want to incinerate small mammals!

I haven't thought about how I will stop it spreading...I assumed (perhaps naively) that if I positioned it a good 12 feet away on all sides from other combustible materials (i.e. not near play equipment, summer house, fencing etc..but just on the lawn with nothing in close proximity) that it wouldn't spread. Am I mistaken?

Will ensure that it is within reach of the hose pipe so that we can douse it with that if needs be.

I collected a whole load of twigs etc from the woods today ..some of them were dampish. I've put them in the garage - will they by dry enough by Sunday do you think?

Sorry HMC, fires are my biggest fear! If you can get an incinerator that is prob safest and you can toast marshmallows for the LO;s and keep your fingers

Dig a small pit and add twigs, medium size branches and bits of paper. Bigger branches and logs can be added once it gets going.

Make sure at least one adult is in charge. And make sure you have a way of extinguishing the fire IF it gets out of hand, for example, the earth dug from the pit.

Thanks Mercy - coupled with that post and some of the earlier advice about strategically placed fire lighters I reckon I am gaining a good idea of what to do.

Have also discovered from googling that there is a rule of thumb of 1:5, i.e. the bonfire should be placed a distance of 5 times it's height away from people, other objects etc

bumping this for you in case anyone knwos anything else