# How do I get a fire started in my fireplace?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-fire-started-in-my-fireplace/426074>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 12, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-fire-started-in-my-fireplace/426074 "2007-11-12T01:31:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-fire-started-in-my-fireplace/426074/41 "2007-11-13T17:24:41Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=masterofnone]

[QUOTE=Christopher]  
Allright, I bought some parafin and have a collection of dryer lint. The trouble is we don’t eat many eggs so no egg cartons. I figured I could use paper cups instead. The trouble is I’m not clear from your directions where to pour the parafin. Do I pour it on top of the dryer lint so I make a dryer lint parafin block?  
QUOTE]  
Yes. Paper cups should work fine. Just fill the cups up with lint, melt the parrafin, and pour it in the cup to soak the lint. When I made them, it was for camping, so I coated the back of the egg carton also to prevent water from soaking in. If stored/used indoors, I would not worry too much about complete coverage. I’d reccomend waxed cups for just a bit extra fuel.  
[/QUOTE]

A warning to our UK readers. “Paraffin” in the US is not the same as the stuff we have in the UK. What we call paraffin is actually kerosene . It would make a superb fire, if your house survives! What **masterofnone** is talking about is what we would call paraffin wax.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterofnone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-fire-started-in-my-fireplace/426074/42 "2007-11-13T17:53:24Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Rayne Man]

[QUOTE=masterofnone]

A warning to our UK readers. “Paraffin” in the US is not the same as the stuff we have in the UK. What we call paraffin is actually kerosene . It would make a superb fire, if your house survives! What **masterofnone** is talking about is what we would call paraffin wax.  
[/QUOTE]

Good point. I’d forgotten that you call kerosene paraffin. (And I realized that I didn’t know how to spell paraffin!)

Another warning to anyone melting paraffin wax- it is highly flammable. As I said upthread, use a double boiler. Be very careful not to splash any out of the pan, especially if using a gas stove. Better yet, do this outside on a camping stove or hot plate well away from anything flammable.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-fire-started-in-my-fireplace/426074.md?page=2)