Getting a fire started is never as easy as you'd like it to be. Unless you've got good dry logs in ready supply, a little newspaper and even some kindling is usually necessary to get a good fire going. Fatwood is a great solution for starting fire in your fireplace, and there are some nice fireplace accessories out there designed for storing this type of kindling wood.

Using Fatwood to Start Your Fire

"Fatwood" is a relatively peculiar term--the wood itself actually isn't fat at all; it's relatively thin, which makes it easy to burn. The term may refer to the fact that fatwood generally has a lot of pitch in it, which helps it ignite easily. To confuse matters further, in the South, fatwood is usually referred to as "lightwood."

Fatwood generally comes from coniferous trees, which tend to have more pitch in them and can burn a lot more easily. Coniferous wood is usually more expensive than regular fire logs, so fatwood is best restricted for use as kindling wood. If you have a good source for fatwood or have a lot of it on hand, you might find it useful to buy yourself a fatwood caddy.

Fatwood caddies are made in some beautiful wrought iron designs, and can make a terrific addition to your fireplace area. Good fatwood caddies come with a handle, so you can use the caddy for carrying wood from outside into your living room. You may be surprised to learn that you can actually buy fatwood starter sticks online from websites that sell other fireplace accessories.