In our article today, we will discuss why fire is a top priority in survival situations. We hope that you really understand the importance of fire to human life by the end of this page and how you can make it. Every single survival situation is different, and we will only be discussing survival situations wherein one is lost in the woods. Fire isn’t really a necessity if you were, say, caught in a fire.

It is also important to mention that you must handle fire carefully. Incorrectly handled, fire can be very dangerous. You must respect fire, and you mustn’t build fires for no good reason, for this can cause a lot of damage to wildlife and property. Only build fires when you have good reason to and on land where you have permission to do so [unless it’s an emergency].

Here is why fire is the top priority in survival situations.

How to Build a Fire

While on the topic of why fire is important, we should first discuss how you can build a fire in an emergency. So, let’s move onto how to make fire, shall we? Here it is:

• Firstly, you want to go and collect suitable wood; preferably dead wood, for it burns better and cleaner, but not rotten wood;
• Create a bundle of wood with some string;
• Place your bundle in the middle of the area you have designated to be your firepit;
• Above the bundle of wood, create a tepee with more weed, leaving an opening on its side so that smoke can escape and air can get in;
• Continue building the tepee and adding more wood to it to make a larger tepee structure;
• Strike a match and place it under the wood, inside the tepee, atop the original pile of wood;
• The tepee will fall sooner or later, and by then, you can add fuel [more logs] to the fire.
• If you do not have a match, there are alternative ways for you to make fires, so you should definitely research them beforehand.

Why Do You Need a Fire to Survive?

Disinfecting Water

First and foremost, one of the best ways to disinfect fire is through boiling and sieving it. If you have access to a water supply but cannot drink it lest you potentially fall sick, you need to boil the water to disinfect it. Disinfecting water is very straightforward, and you need only bring it to a boil for several minutes. Clean water is paramount to survival when you are in a situation that is risking your health, life, and safety. Never drink dirty water. Chlorine tablets are an alternative.

Cooking Food

You may too have access to food or may be able to hunt. Eating raw meat, however, is a sure-fire way to make yourself incredibly sick. Building a fire is a great way for you to cook anything you catch and ensure that it is safe to eat and that all parasites have been cooked out of it. You may cook meat; you may want to cook anything else you can forage, including mushrooms, vegetables, or fruit. Cooking is a great way to clean food items of parasites if you are uncertain about how clean they are.

Heat

The most obvious reason you might need a fire in a survival situation is for heat. You may become very cold, very quickly, when outdoors. Heat is essential to your survival. You will quickly find that fire is a fantastic way to warm yourself up when you are stuck out in the wilderness. Fires can keep you warm all night and into the morning, and even all day if you do not have appropriate outdoor clothing. If you are cold and want to stay warm – fire is definitely your best option.

Scaring Away Predatory Animals and Light

If you are in the midst of a survival situation in the jungle, woods, or an area where there may be predatory animals, a fire will scare them away, and light will allow you to see. It is a known fact that animals are scared of fire. If you are around bears, big cats, wolves, or any other predatory animals – you need a fire. It will also allow you to see and detect any potential threats to your safety or your life. Spending a night alone in the woods in darkness can be absolutely terrifying – and dangerous.

With this page, we hope you now understand why fire is so important in a survival situation and how to build one. To prevent any of these things from happening, go equipped when you are going outdoors. Bring an oil burner, enough gas, rain clothes, and torches.