Star fire

Wood only burns where it is hot enough. In the star fire, that is only the case in the middle, where the logs meet and heat each other. A little further out, the wood is too cool to burn. That is why the logs burn away slowly from the inside out rather than all at once.

That gives you a simple control knob: the closer together the ends lie, the more wood is hot and the bigger the fire becomes. If you pull them apart a little, the ends cool down and the fire gets smaller. The outer ends stay cool enough for a long time that you can use them as handles.

Start with a small fire that already has a good core of embers – for example from a teepee. Only then lay the long logs in a star with their ends in it. Laid on a small flame, thick logs would be more likely to smother the fire.

Push the logs in only as far as the ends have burned away. If you push them in too far, the fire gets big and eats more wood than necessary. Dry, thick logs burn more evenly and for longer than thin or damp ones.

For cooking, you can rest a pot on the converging log ends or on stones beside them. Make sure it stands securely and cannot tip over when a log is pushed in.

The star fire is a traditional cooking fire used in many parts of the world because it needs little wood. It is especially practical when you find only a few long pieces of deadwood and have no saw. It is also good for a small, calm fire that you want to keep at the same size for hours.

It does need space all round, however, because the logs stick out a long way. In cramped spots and between tents it is a poor choice. For a group that wants to warm up, the fire is usually too small, because it gives off only a little radiant heat.

Check the local rules and wildfire danger before every fire; fire bans always apply. The long logs are trip hazards and can carry embers outwards if someone kicks them. Keep the area around all the logs clear, do not step over them and be especially careful in the dark. Children should know where the logs lie.

Hold a log for pushing in only by its outer, cool end. Even there it can be warm if the log has been burning for a long time – check carefully. Cool burns immediately with cool, not ice-cold, running water; for serious burns, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

To put the fire out, pull the logs apart and thoroughly extinguish both the embers in the middle and the smouldering log ends with water. A pulled-out log end can keep smouldering for a long time – never just leave it lying there.

The star fire shows very nicely how to control a fire without adding new wood: purely through the distance between the pieces of fuel. The same principle is at work in many fire lays – wood that lies close together heats itself up.

If you have to leave the fire briefly, pulling the logs apart and hoping it goes out on its own is no solution. A fire is never left unattended – either someone stays with it, or it is put out completely.