fire-skills

Practical fire building, management, and safety skills. Use when someone needs to build a campfire, use a fireplace safely, learn to grill, or needs fire emergency response guidance.

# Fire Skills

Humans have used fire for at least 400,000 years. It's arguably the foundational technology — cooking, warmth, light, protection. And yet most adults in 2026 can't build a reliable campfire, don't know what their fireplace damper does, and would panic if a grease fire erupted on their stove. This skill covers the practical fire knowledge you actually need: how to build and maintain fires for recreation and warmth, how to grill without poisoning anyone, and critically, how to respond when fire becomes an emergency instead of a tool.

```agent-adaptation
# Localization note — fire regulations and emergency systems vary by region
- Burn bans, open-fire regulations, and fire danger rating systems are
  jurisdiction-specific. Detect user location and swap:
  US: Local fire department non-emergency line, NFPA guidelines, fire danger
      rating from NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center)
  UK: Fire and Rescue Service, Gov.uk fire safety guidance
  Australia: CFA/RFS fire danger ratings, total fire ban systems
  Canada: Provincial fire bans, FireSmart program
  EU: Country-specific fire brigade numbers and regulations
- Emergency number: US 911, UK 999, AU 000, EU 112
- Grilling customs and equipment vary — charcoal/gas ratios differ by country.
  Adapt fuel types to what's locally available.
- Firewood species references are North American. Swap for local hardwood/
  softwood equivalents.
```

## Sources & Verification

- **National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)** -- Home fire safety data, extinguisher guidelines, escape planning. https://www.nfpa.org/
- **US Forest Service** -- Campfire safety and wildfire prevention. https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/campfire-safety
- **American Red Cross** -- Home fire safety and prevention resources. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire.html
- **NFPA fire extinguisher classifications** -- Class A/B/C/K descriptions and usage. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home/fire-extinguishers
- **Anthropic, "Labor market impacts of AI"** -- March 2026 research showing this occupation/skill area has near-zero AI exposure. https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

## When to Use

- User wants to build a campfire and doesn't know where to start
- User has a fireplace and isn't sure how to operate it safely
- User is learning to grill (charcoal or gas) and wants safety basics
- User had a kitchen fire or small fire and wants to know what to do
- User wants to know which fire extinguisher to buy for their home
- User needs to create a home fire escape plan
- User is going camping and wants fire safety basics
- User asks about smoke detector placement or maintenance

## Instructions

### Step 1: Determine what kind of fire knowledge the user needs

**Agent action**: Ask the user which situation applies. Route to the relevant section.

```
FIRE SKILL CATEGORIES:

A. CAMPFIRE BUILDING -- How to build, maintain, and extinguish a campfire
B. FIREPLACE OPERATION -- Using an indoor fireplace safely
C. GRILLING BASICS -- Charcoal and gas grill safety and technique
D. FIRE EXTINGUISHER KNOWLEDGE -- Types, placement, and use
E. KITCHEN FIRE RESPONSE -- What to do when cooking goes wrong
F. HOME FIRE SAFETY -- Escape plans, smoke detectors, prevention
```

### Step 2: Campfire building

**Agent action**: Walk the user through fire building from scratch.

```
BEFORE YOU START:
- Check for burn bans. Call the local ranger station or check
  the fire agency website for your area. Fines run $500-$5,000+.
- Use an existing fire ring if one exists. Never build on bare
  ground in the backcountry unless it's an emergency.
- Clear a 10-foot radius of leaves, pine needles, and dry debris.
- Have water or a shovel within arm's reach before you light anything.
- Wind check: if sustained winds exceed 15 mph, don't build a fire.

MATERIALS YOU NEED (gather before you start):
1. Tinder -- dry, fine material that catches from a spark or match
   Examples: dryer lint (bring from home), cotton balls with petroleum
   jelly, dry grass, birch bark shavings, newspaper
   Amount: two handfuls minimum

2. Kindling -- small sticks, pencil-thickness or thinner
   Must snap cleanly (if it bends, it's too wet)
   Amount: two armfuls

3. Fuel wood -- wrist-thickness to arm-thickness logs
   Hardwood (oak, maple, hickory) burns longer and hotter
   Softwood (pine, fir, cedar) lights easier but burns fast and sparks
   Amount: enough for your planned burn time, plus extra

NEVER BURN: treated/painted wood, plywood, trash, plastic, poison ivy/oak
```

```
TEEPEE METHOD (best for beginners):
1. Place a tinder bundle in the center of your fire ring.
2. Lean kindling sticks against each other over the tinder,
   forming a cone shape (like a teepee). Leave a gap on the
   windward side for airflow and lighting access.
3. Light the tinder at the base from the windward side.
4. As kindling catches, add more kindling — don't smother it.
5. Once kindling is burning steadily (3-5 minutes), lean
   small fuel wood against the structure.
6. Gradually increase wood size as the fire establishes.
7. A good fire takes 15-20 minutes to fully establish.

LOG CABIN METHOD (best for cooking, longer burn):
1. Place tinder in the center.
2. Lay two parallel sticks on either side of the tinder.
3. Lay two more sticks perpendicular on top, forming a square.
4. Repeat, building up 3-4 layers, decreasing size as you go.
5. Fill the center cavity with kindling.
6. Light from the bottom center.
7. This structure creates excellent airflow and collapses into
   a flat coal bed — ideal for cooking.

MAINTAINING YOUR FIRE:
- Add wood before the fire gets low, not after it's almost out.
- Feed from the upwind side.
- Blow gently at the base if it needs oxygen — not at the flames.
- For cooking: let it burn down to coals. Flames = soot on food.

EXTINGUISHING (do this EVERY time):
1. Stop adding wood 30-45 minutes before you want to leave.
2. Spread coals out with a stick (don't pile them).
3. Pour water slowly and steadily — it will hiss and steam.
4. Stir the wet ashes with a stick, exposing hidden embers.
5. Pour more water. Stir again.
6. Touch the ashes with the back of your hand (carefully).
   If warm, repeat steps 3-5.
7. "If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave."
```

### Step 3: Fireplace operation

**Agent action**: Walk the user through safe indoor fireplace use.

```
BEFORE YOUR FIRST FIRE OF THE SEASON:
- Get the chimney inspected annually. Creosote buildup causes
  chimney fires. Cost: $150-$300 for inspection and cleaning.
- Check the damper: open it fully. Look up — you should see daylight
  or the flue liner. If you see blockage, stop and call a sweep.
- Check for birds' nests or debris (common after summer).
- Make sure smoke detectors and CO detectors are working.

OPERATING THE FIREPLACE:
1. Open the damper FULLY before lighting anything.
2. Prime the flue: hold a rolled newspaper (lit) up near the
   damper opening for 30 seconds. This warms the air in the
   flue and establishes draft. Skip this and smoke fills the room.
3. Build a small fire first (tinder + kindling only).
4. Once draft is established, add 2-3 logs. Don't overload.
5. Use a fireplace screen or glass doors to contain sparks.
6. Never leave a fire unattended. Period.
7. Don't close the damper until ashes are COMPLETELY cold (24+ hours).

WHAT NEVER GOES IN A FIREPLACE:
- Treated, painted, or stained wood
- Cardboard (fine for starting, but not as primary fuel)
- Christmas trees (explosive — resin ignites violently)
- Trash, plastic, or wrapping paper
- Accelerants (lighter fluid, gasoline, kerosene)
- Duraflame-type logs + real wood at the same time

CREOSOTE: THE HIDDEN DANGER:
- Creosote is a tar-like residue that builds up inside chimneys.
- It's flammable. Enough buildup = chimney fire.
- Burns hot enough to crack chimney liners and ignite walls.
- Minimized by: burning dry/seasoned wood, m