How to light a fireplace: the top-down method explained step by step
Lighting from the top instead of the bottom (the top-down method) causes the fire to burn its own smoke gases as it moves downward, rather than letting them escape cold through the flue and turn into creosote.
Lighting from the top instead of the bottom (the top-down method) causes the fire to burn its own smoke gases as it moves downward, rather than letting them escape cold through the flue and turn into creosote.
Almost everyone lights a fireplace the way they were taught as a child: paper and kindling underneath, thick logs on top. It works, but it is the method that produces the most smoke during the first few minutes, especially if the wood is not perfectly dry. For years we have recommended that our customers try doing it the other way around — the top-down method — and the difference in how much smoke comes out of the chimney (and how much creosote it leaves behind) is noticeable from the very first winter.
What really happens inside the flue when you light from the bottom
When the fire starts at the bottom, the wood stacked above heats up in stages and releases combustion gases before there is enough flame to burn them. Those gases rise through a flue that is still cold at the start, cool suddenly when they touch the walls and that is where creosote begins to stick. The top-down method reverses the problem: the fire burns at the very top first and gradually works its way down, so each layer of wood burns at the moment it releases its gases, not beforehand.
How to build it, layer by layer
- Base: two or three thick logs, placed parallel and touching each other.
- Middle layer: medium-sized pieces of wood, laid crosswise over the base (like a lattice, not parallel).
- Top layer: fine kindling and a firelighter — dry pine cones, natural tinder or eco-friendly firelighters. Never use petrol or alcohol, however tempting it may seem.
- Light only the top layer and leave the air control fully open for the first 15–20 minutes.
If you have built it correctly, the result is a fire that takes a little longer to warm the room during the first ten minutes, but then keeps burning with less wood and far less visible smoke outside.
When the method fails: cold draught
If the fireplace has not been lit for weeks or it is very cold outside, the smoke may initially tend to enter the room rather than rise — the flue is so cold that the draught is temporarily reversed. The traditional solution still works: light a rolled-up sheet of newspaper near the flue entrance, hold it there for a few seconds until you feel the air starting to rise, then light the main fire. No lighting method, however good, can fix damp firewood — that remains the number-one cause of excessive smoke, regardless of how you light the fire.
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Frequently asked questions
Does it work the same way in a closed wood-burning stove as in an open fireplace?
Yes, the principle is the same in both. It does not apply to pellet stoves because their ignition and feeding system is automatic and different.
Do I need more firewood with this method?
No, you generally need less because the fire makes better use of each layer as it moves downward instead of losing heat through excess unburned gases.
Can I use ordinary firelighters or do they need to be eco-friendly?
Eco-friendly firelighters made from wood fibre and vegetable wax burn more cleanly and leave less residue than paraffin ones, so if you have a choice, they are the better option.
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