To: Gov.

Herbert
From: Timothy Hansen, Caleb McFalls, Chaska Gonzales
Subject: Fire Instruction Sets
Date: September 19, 2019

The importance of fire-making skills in a potential disaster scenario cannot

be understated. The ability to safely harness fire for warmth, cooking, and defense
could mean the difference between life and death for the citizens of Utah. Our
instructions will not only inform the public about how to build fires but also how to
do so in a safe manner. These instructions are intended to benefit the general
populous, particularly those who lack experience in common outdoor activities
such as camping and hiking. Without training or instructions, citizens could
attempt to make fires without taking proper safety precautions. The potential threat
of unsafe, uncontrolled fires should not be taken lightly. Understanding the
differences between different types of campfires, and what purposes they are best
suited for, will help the people of our valley to be as prepared as possible for any
eventuality.
In addition to the obvious necessity of equipping the populace with these
skills in case of a zombie outbreak, there is another indirect benefit of these
instruction sets: creating a more prepared community. It is an unfortunate reality
that we are at a constant threat of a major earthquake on the Wasatch Front. In such
an incident, having a population armed with the knowledge needed to build fires
would be an incredibly valuable asset.
We believe it to be imperative that resources and funding are allocated for
the production of these instructions.
Instruction set by: Caleb McFalls

The two most important things to know before you build a fire is where to build it
and what materials to use. Whether you are going to build a fire for warmth or to
use for cooking it is important to have a dedicated place to do it in. You will also
need to build a fire pit to burn in so the fire does not spread.

How to build a fire pit:

1. Find a place to build the fire pit.
a. Where you build it is very important, there should be no overhanging
tree branches. The ground should also be mostly dirt or rocks, you do
not want to build a fire pit on grass or brush. It is also best to avoid
windy areas if possible because high winds will make building a fire
difficult, even for seasoned pros.
2. Clear surrounding area.
a. After you have chosen the location of the pit you must clear the
surrounding area of anything that can burn. A good rule of thumb
when clearing the area is to put the fire pit in the middle of a large
circle with a diameter of at least 10 feet (but 20 feet is best.)
3. Gather medium/large rocks.
a. You’ll need to gather about 10-20 medium to large stones for the pit.
4. Arrange the rocks in a circle to form your fire pit.
a. You will use the rocks you gathered in the previous step to make a
small circle (about three feet in diameter) in the middle of your
clearing. Pack the rocks tightly make sure there are no gaps for ash or
embers to escape. If you have extra stones you can stack them on top
making the pit taller.
5. Gather materials
a. Now that the fire pit is complete you'll need to find stuff to “feed” the
fire so that the fire stays burning. You’re going to need to find dry
wood, and tinder (dry sticks and dead grass.) ONLY DRY WOOD
WILL BURN. if you try and use wet wood or wood from a live tree it
will just create smoke.
 6. Light the “starter”
a. Now that all of your materials have been gathered and your fire pit is
built it is time to light the fire. To start you will want to use some kind
of material that burns very easily such as newspapers, paper towels,
fabric, etc. these are called starters. PRO TIP: Dryer lint or cotton
balls covered in vaseline are great ways to start your fire.
b. If it is windy it is best to light the starter near your fire pit so the wind
can not blow it out before it lights the tinder.
7. “Nurse” the starter till it starts the rest of the wood.
a. “Nursing” the starter is basically keeping the small flame alive until it
catches the tinder and larger wood.
b. The best way to do this is to blow GENTLY on the small flame, this
makes it grow so that it can ignite your other wood. PRO TIP: The
best way to judge how hard to blow on the flame is to act like you are
trying to cool down a spoonful of soup. If you blow too hard it will
extinguish the flame.
8. Keep the fire alive
a. After you have the fire started you will need to occasionally add logs
to the fire so that the fire has new wood to keep it alight.

With these instructions, you will be able to safely build a fire pit to contain your
fire. Our friend Smokey the Bear said it best when he said “only you can prevent
forest fires” and yes that rule still applies during the zombie apocalypse.
Instruction set by: Chaska Arianne Gonzales Lozada

How to make a fire torch

1. Search for a rod-like piece of wood.
2. Find a rag or rip a piece of your clothes.
3. Wrap the rag on top of the rod-like piece of wood.
4. Cover your hands with another rag or another piece of your clothes.
5. If you have a flammable liquid, soak the rag with it.
6. If you don’t have a flammable liquid, search for some tree resin.
a. Put the resin in a container.
b. Make a small campfire.
c. Melt resin over the campfire but be careful of the resin not to catch fire.
d. Apply the liquified resin to the rag.
7. Get rid of the rags that cover your hands.
8. Lit up the rag.
9. Repeat steps 1-8 to make more torches.
Instruction set by: Timothy Hansen

Using fire for cooking and staying warm

There are many different kinds of campfires. Each type has characteristics that
make it better suited for certain purposes and applications. This instruction set will
detail how to build and make effective use of certain types of campfires.

◦​Teepee Campfire

Teepee fires burn hot and quickly. This makes them well suited for cooking. For
example, you can build it underneath a hung pot on a tripod to use for cooking. To
build a teepee fire:
1. Place a bundle of tinder (highly flammable material such as dried leaves)
on the ground or on a small piece of bark.
2. Stick several kindling twigs (small sticks) into the ground, forming the
shape of a teepee or pyramid, leaving an opening on the upwind side so you
can light the fire.
3.Lean kindling twigs against the downwind side of the tinder
4. Continue to lean twigs against the structure, putting smaller twigs on the
outside.
5. To extend the life of the fire as it intensifies, continue to add larger sticks
to the teepee.
6.Light the tinder
◦​Log Cabin Fire

The Log Cabin Fire can also be used for cooking, but it is also good for staying
warm and sleeping by. This is because it burns long and provides a large radius of
heat.
1. Start by placing three pieces of firewood on the ground in the shape of
a square with one side missing. The pieces should roughly be the
diameter of a wrist. The open side should be downwind.
2. Lay a row of smaller sticks (roughly thumb diameter) on top of the
large pieces; bridge the gap. You will place your tinder on these, so
keep them close to each other, but not touching. (Air must be able to
flow freely to fuel the fire.)
3. Place a thicker stick on each side of the structure, perpendicular to the
last layer you put down. Then place another row of two sticks in the
same fashion, but perpendicular to the previous level. Repeat this
process three or four times, until you’ve created walls that are a
couple of inches high.
4. Fill the hole you’ve just made with your tinder
5. Over the tinder, place a closely spaced row of smaller sticks roughly
the diameter of a pencil. Place a larger piece on each side of this row,
perpendicularly. This will secure the tinder in place.
6. Place a bundle of kindling twigs parallel to the larger pieces you just
placed
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 one or two more times.
8. Place some pieces of wood on top to form a roof
 9. Carefully light the tinder

Picture Credits:​http://www.campfiredude.com/campfire-lays.php
http://www.practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/logcabin.html