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Optima Installation and Operation Manual
4.3.1 Conventional Fire Starting
The conventional way to build a wood
fire is to bunch up 5 to 10 sheets of
plain newspaper and place them in the
firebox. Next, place 10 or so pieces of
fine kindling on the newspaper. This
kindling should be very thin; less than
1" (25 mm). Next, place some larger
kindling pieces on the fine kindling.
Open the air control fully and light the
newspaper. If you have a tall, straight
venting system you should be able to
close the door immediately and the fire
will ignite. If your venting system has
elbows or an outside chimney, you may
need to leave the door closed but
unlatched for a few minutes as the
newspaper ignites and heat in the
chimney produces some draft. Once
the fire has ignited, close the door and
A conventional kindling fire with paper
leave the air control fully open.
under finely split wood.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPENED DURING
IGNITION. ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER IGNITION.
After the kindling fire has mostly burned, you can add standard firewood pieces until you have a fire
of the right size for the conditions.
4.3.2 The Top Down Fire
The top down fire starting method solves two problems with the conventional method: first, it does not
collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it is not necessary to build up the fire gradually
because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can provide up to two hours of
heating or more. The top down method only works properly if the wood is well-seasoned.
Start by placing three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood in the firebox. Next, place 4 or 5
more finely split pieces of firewood (2" to 3" [50 mm to 75 mm] in dia.) on the base logs at right angles
(log cabin style). Now place about 10 pieces of finely split kindling on the second layer at right angles.
The fire is topped with about 5 sheets of newspaper. You can just bunch them up and stuff them in
between the kindling and the underside of the baffle. Or you can make newspaper knots by rolling up
single sheets corner to corner and tying a knot in them. The advantage of knots is that they don't roll
off the fire as they burn. Light the newspaper and watch as the fire burns from top to bottom.
4.3.3 Two Parallel Logs
Place two spit logs in the firebox. Place a few sheets of twisted newspaper between the logs. Now
place some fine kindling across the two logs and some larger kindling across those, log cabin style.
Light the newspaper.
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