You can’t watch a movie or TV show with an outdoor campfire and not see the scene where the person is down on their hands and knees blowing like crazy to get the little ember to turn into a flame.
I’ve done it myself, but one time my wife asked me, “Why does blowing a fire make it burn better?”
I did the research and the answer may surprise you. The obvious answer is that oxygen is one of the three things a fire needs to survive. But when you blow, that’s not exactly what you’re doing. You’re actually creating a miniature pressure system that’s feeding oxygen more consistently into the embers which, in time, creates its own system for a sustainable fire.
During this research, I also found some more about fires and different ways to use “blowing” to help with fire building (and fire fun).
Table of Contents
Fire Triangle
The fire triangle is something taught in fire safety classes in many schools.
As a teacher by day, I’ve watched dozens of these presentations by local fire departments, and I love how they break it down so simply for the kids.
This triangle is made up of three things:
Heat
The heat for a fire is what provides the energy for the flames to ignite. Remove the heat (like when it’s cold), and the fire has a hard time starting and keeping going.
Fuel
The fuel is the material that’s burning. It’s the thing that provides the matter for the process that fire is. In the outdoors, fuel is usually wood, needles, or leaves.
Oxygen
Oxygen is an essential part of the fire process. Without oxygen, burning stops and the fire goes out.
This is why a candle goes out if you cover it up with a lid and remove the oxygen.
For this article, oxygen is what we’re adding to the fire by blowing.
Related Reading: Fire Triangle
Don’t We Exhale Carbon Dioxide?
Yes, if we only looked at the air molecules leaving our lungs, then our breath would be all carbon dioxide.
But as the air leaves our mouth it’s joined with the rest of the air (including oxygen). This is why CPR rescue breaths can be effective.
On top of this, you create a high pressure “wind” with your breath which leaves a vacuum of lower pressure behind it.
This lower pressure air is even more oxygen-rich than your natural breath which helps the fire start even more.
4 Simple Ways To Use “Blowing” To Help Start A Fire
We can use a lot of different things to build the “oxygen feedback loop” that helps lead to a sustainable fire.
Here are 4 of my favorite and simple ways to use oxygen and “blowing” to help with this.
#1 Breath
This is the obvious one, but it’s a classic for good reason. You need absolutely nothing other than your own breath.
Use whatever method you need to start the fire by creating a spark and ember.
Check out my article on ways to start a fire without a lighter. Some of them are pretty weird.
Once the embers have been started, make your lips into the shape of a circle and blow.
When you blow, focus on blowing cool air in a solid stream. I like to think I’m whispering the word “too” to someone across the room.
You may need to get right up to the ember, but be careful not to get too close. 1 foot or 12 inches should be a good distance.
Too close and you won’t pull in enough oxygen as part of the pressure process. Too far and there won’t be enough oxygen to affect the fire.
Keep blowing and adding tinder followed by small kindling until it reaches enough heat to sustain itself. This may take a while, so keep at it.
#2 Bellows
The bellows are the classic fire starting tool. They are basically a bag with two wooden sides that allow for air to be pumped in a single direction.
Essentially, this a more effective (and less tiring) version of your lungs.
Use the bellows much like when you blow air. After you get the ember started, aim the bellows and pump until the fire is lit.
The benefits of this over the fan method below is that the air comes out in a single stream, but it does cost money to have one where the “fan” can be made of anything.
You can find bellows at some stores, but they aren’t very common anymore. I bought mine a few years back online.
I wish I had seen the price on this automatic one by FiAir on Amazon though because I might have gotten that one instead.
#3 Fan
This is the method I usually end up using if I need help getting my embers to heat up. Blowing with your breath is fine and all, but do it too much and you may get dizzy.
Most people keep a newspaper around for tinder or take a magazine with them to read. I usually bring a book or two myself.
These objects can make a simple fan to wave some oxygen to the fire.
After you have a spark or ember started, use your “fan” in a gentle waving motion.
This sends oxygen to feed the fire. How close you get to the fire depends on the object you’re using; some “fans” need to get right up close to affect the fire.
Pro-tip: A weak and struggling ember can get blown out by the pressure the fan creates. Start with your breath until the ember has some traction and then switch to fan.
#4 Leaf Blower
OK. This one’s just plain fun.
Honestly, this idea never occurred to me until a few weeks ago when I went over to my buddy’s house for a campfire with our kids.
We were starting the fire and using the fan method from above when he looked over at me with a smirk on his face.
He walked into his garage, pulled out a leaf blower, and fired it right up. He pointed it at the embers and with the lowest setting he blew air at it.
The flames shot right up. After just one minute, that fire was raging.
This may not be the best choice for if you’re out camping because you probably don’t bring your leaf blower with you.
If for some reason, you do; then you can do it (and get some attention for doing it this way). If you’re just at home, this can be a fun quick way to get a fire started.
Pro-tip: Don’t do it with a leaf blower if you’re using paper shreds or light leaves as your tinder.
The leaf blower may just blow them around unless you weigh them down with other branches and kindling. Also, don’t use the blower on a hard blowing setting; keep it light.
This is the one I have at home. It’s electric, so I don’t have to fiddle around with gas.
And it’s light and affordable.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning about fire and oxygen and can answer the question “Why does blowing on a fire make it burn better?” Essentially, it’s because you’re pushing more oxygen to the fire.
Hopefully, you can use this knowledge and our tricks above to help with your fire-starting needs and impress your friends with your outdoor expertise.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air!
If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also enjoy When Is It Too Windy For A Campfire?