Most fireplace owners prefer to burn logs as fuel. The use of coal or charcoal requires the building of a wood fire to ignite it, so most of the points given here will be of value regardless of which fuel you prefer.
WHAT TO BURN
Dry and seasoned hardwood makes the best fuel. Logs may be split or whole and should be from 16" to 22" in length. Soft woods burn away too quickly, and wet green wood will give a smoldering, unsatisfactory fire.
Don’t burn scrap lumber or refuse. This sort of material is generally so dry that it produces a great many sparks which will escape up the flue and he a worry if not a real hazard to your neighbors and to you, if your home has a combustible roof.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
You should use either andirons, a bar grate, or a basket grate to hold the logs in the proper position. Andirons are usually chosen for decorative appearance, and some owners prefer a basket grate with andirons set in front of it for decoration.
Whether you burn wood, charcoal, or coal, you will need a pair of tongs, a small shovel, and a poker, since half the fun of owning a fireplace is in "tending" the fire A hearth broom is handy for brushing up stray ashes that spill out on the hearth extension. A wide variety of other gadgets are available, but are more ornamental than useful.
Place your andirons about 12" to 16" apart, equidistant from the centerline of the hearth. Lay a fairly generous amount of crumpled or twisted newspaper on the hearth between the andirons, leaving a few convenient loose ends for igniting. Arrange a criss-cross of kindling sticks, such as pine, on top of the paper.
Now set the longest and thickest of the logs (4" or 5" diameter) across the andirons toward the back of the fire chamber —not tight against the back . . leave about a half-inch space. Place a second piece, preferably a split log. a few inches in front, then another split log on top so as to form a sort of crude pyramid.
