Start and maintain a fire using friction, spark, and solar methods. Covers site selection, material grading (tinder/kindling/fuel), fire lay construction (teepee, log cabin, platform), ignition techniques (ferro rod, flint & steel, bow drill), flame nurturing, and Leave No Trace extinguishing. Use when needing warmth, light, or a signal in a wilderness setting, when boiling water for purification, when cooking foraged food, or in an emergency survival situation requiring heat or morale support.
野外起火、養火也。
purify-water）→用forage-plants）→用擇安、用、少擾之地。
Site Selection Criteria:
┌─────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Factor │ Requirement │
├─────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Wind │ Sheltered or with a windbreak │
│ Ground │ Mineral soil, rock, or sand │
│ Overhead clearance │ No branches within 3 m / 10 ft │
│ Distance from water │ At least 5 m / 15 ft from streams │
│ Distance from camp │ Close enough for use, far enough │
│ │ to avoid spark hazards to gear │
│ Drainage │ Slight slope or flat; avoid hollows│
│ │ where rain pools │
└─────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┘
清圓徑約 1 m 至礦土。雪濕地→築青木或平石台。
得：地清平、圓內無燃屑、上空足、有遮風。
敗：土不宜→以 4-6 青（活）腕粗木並列為台。風過烈→以木、石、布 45° 斜為屏。
分三類、按乾大級之。
Material Grading:
┌──────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────┬───────────────────────────┐
│ Category │ Diameter │ Examples │ Quantity needed │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Tinder │ Hair-thin fibers │ Birch bark, │ Two fist-sized bundles │
│ │ │ dried grass, │ │
│ │ │ cedar bark, │ │
│ │ │ fatwood │ │
│ │ │ shavings, │ │
│ │ │ cattail fluff│ │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Kindling │ Pencil-thin to │ Dead twigs, │ Two armfuls, sorted by │
│ │ finger-thick │ split sticks │ thickness │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Fuel │ Wrist-thick to │ Dead standing│ Enough for intended burn │
│ │ arm-thick │ wood, split │ time (1 armload ≈ 1 hr) │
│ │ │ logs │ │
└──────────┴──────────────────┴──────────────┴───────────────────────────┘
Dryness Test:
- Snap test: dry wood snaps cleanly; damp wood bends
- Sound test: dry wood clicks when struck together; damp wood thuds
- Source priority: dead standing > dead leaning > dead on dry ground > dead on wet ground
得：三堆於臂內。絨骨乾細；枝脆折。
敗：絨皆濕→刮內皮（柏、樺、楊）以刀作細絲。肥松（死松脂心）濕亦燃。末計：用攜物（油棉、蠟紙板）。
按用與況擇架。
Fire Lay Decision Table:
┌──────────────┬──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┐
│ Fire Lay │ Best for │ Construction │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Teepee │ Quick start, boiling │ Lean kindling against │
│ │ water, signaling │ a central tinder bundle │
│ │ │ in a cone shape │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Log cabin │ Sustained heat, │ Stack pairs of sticks in │
│ │ cooking, drying │ alternating layers like │
│ │ │ a cabin; tinder in center│
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Lean-to │ Windy conditions │ Push a green stick into │
│ │ │ ground at 30°; lean │
│ │ │ kindling against it with │
│ │ │ tinder underneath │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Platform │ Snow/wet ground │ Lay green logs side by │
│ │ │ side as a base; build │
│ │ │ teepee or log cabin on │
│ │ │ top │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Star/Radial │ Long burns with │ Lay 4-5 logs radiating │
│ │ minimal fuel │ from center like spokes; │
│ │ │ push inward as they burn │
└──────────────┴──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┘
留隙通氣。火需氧→鬆堆非緊。
得：架穩、絨易引、隙足、枝排使焰漸升絨→枝→薪。
敗：崩→插支棍為柱。氣滯（煙而不焰）→開隙、迎風底留口。
按具擇法。
Ignition Methods (ranked by reliability):
┌───────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method │ Technique │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Lighter/match │ Apply flame directly to tinder for 5-10 sec │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ferro rod │ Hold rod against tinder; scrape striker down │
│ │ rod at 45° with firm, fast strokes; direct │
│ │ sparks into center of tinder bundle │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Flint & steel │ Strike steel against flint edge to cast sparks │
│ │ onto char cloth laid on tinder │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Bow drill │ Carve fireboard notch; place tinder below; │
│ │ spin spindle with bow using steady, full-length│
│ │ strokes until coal forms in notch │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Solar (lens) │ Focus sunlight through lens onto dark tinder; │
│ │ hold steady until smoke appears; gently blow │
└───────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
得：絨於 30 秒內紅（炭）或小焰生。
敗：星落而絨不燃→絨過濕或粗。細之（刮、撕、蓬）。鎂棒先刮鎂屑於絨為催。弓鑽→軸、板同乾軟木（柳、柏、楊），槽達軸心凹。
絨燃乃慎由炭至焰。
得：1-2 分鐘內焰由絨升至最細枝。劈啪聲→自續矣。
敗：枝階焰死→枝過粗濕。以刀更劈細、或擇最乾細。焰窒→架過緊、緩提材以通氣。勿猛吹散炭。
漸增材徑。
Fuel Progression:
Tinder → Pencil-thin → Finger-thick → Wrist-thick → Arm-thick
(each stage must be established before adding the next)
得：火穩自續、熱均、每 15-30 分鐘加薪即養。
敗：加大材即死→越級也。退一級築厚炭床乃升。材嘶汽→過濕；劈露內乾、或近火烘再加。
Extinguishing Protocol:
1. Stop adding fuel 30-60 min before you need the fire out
2. Let wood burn down to ash
3. Spread coals and ash with a stick
4. Douse with water (pour, stir, pour again)
5. Feel with the back of your hand 10 cm / 4 in above the ashes
6. If any warmth is felt, repeat douse-stir-douse
7. When cold to touch, scatter the ash over a wide area
8. Replace any ground cover or duff that was moved
9. "Could someone walk by and not know a fire was here?"
得：地冷、無可見炭、似未擾。
敗：無水→以礦土（非有機腐葉，會悶燃）埋。攪察再三。未冷勿離。炭埋深灰下→撥灰盡滅露炭。
purify-water — 沸水需續火，法賴此技forage-plants — 多草為絨（樺皮、香蒲絨、乾草），有者需炊paper-making — 以植纖造紙；纖備與搗法同絨備