Why won't my wood fire stay lit?
Almost always it's the fuel or the air — wet, unseasoned wood that smolders instead of catching, splits too big to ignite, or not enough air because the damper's partly closed or the flue is cold and not drafting. A fire needs dry wood, air, and a warm chimney pulling; take away any one and it dies.
Dry wood, or nothing works
The single biggest cause up here is wet wood. Freshly split mountain oak or poplar holds a lot of water and needs a full year seasoning — split, stacked, and covered off the ground. Wet wood spends its energy boiling off moisture instead of burning, so it hisses, blackens, and quits.
A moisture meter reading under 20% is what you want. Firewood delivered as 'seasoned' often isn't, and that's the most common call we get from frustrated new burners.
Give it air and a warm flue
Open the damper all the way and the stove's air control wide while you're establishing the fire — starve it early and it smolders out. A cold flue won't draft, so the fire can't breathe; prime it first by holding a rolled newspaper torch up near the damper for a minute.
Build top-down, or with a solid kindling teepee, so flames climb into progressively bigger wood instead of being smothered by a big log dropped on too soon.
If the wood's dry and it still won't hold
Then the problem is draft: a creosote-narrowed flue, a blocked cap, a bird nest, or negative house pressure robbing the fire of air. Those need eyes on the chimney, not more kindling. We'll inspect the flue and cap, sweep if needed, and get it drawing the way it should. Call (828) 545-0525.
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