The larger logs first

Start by placing the largest logs side by side. Try to get them together as tight as possible. The objective is not to leave a space for the live coals to fall through to the bottom layer. The tighter the bottom logs are placed together the longer and more effective your fire will burn.

The medium sized logs

On the next layer(s) put the medium size logs that are a bit smaller and can burn easier. The easier it is to burn, the higher on the pile it goes.

The Kindling & Firelighter

Finally the smallest pieces that is easiest to burn goes on the very top. Kindling & Tinder.

Starting the upside down fire

Place your eco-firelighters with-in the first layer of kindling and light it.

The layers will start to burn from the top down, creating live coals which will start to pile up on the next level, causing it to ignite. The secret to this method is to create a domino effect of ignition from one layer to the next (Please see below Figure 2 for a visual illustration.

In the upside down fire the bottom logs heat up and start to release volatiles. The heat and flames in the layers above, ignites and cleanly burns these volatiles. In the traditional packing method, the first gases (volatiles) driven out of the wood, travel unburned through the flue pipe forming flammable creosote build-up onto the internal flue walls and releasing unburned carbon dioxide into the environment.

Creosote burns as hot as coal (1000 Degrees Celsius), so its escape from the firebox is a loss of potential heat for the house. In the upside down fire, all creosote burns up in the stove or fireplace.

As long as you have a good bed of coals, the firebox will be hot enough to heat up and ignite fresh fuel. The upside down fire makes a dramatic difference in conventional fireplaces producing a long clean burn and will usually also solve any start-up smoking problems.