How to Make a Swedish Fire Torch

Making a Swedish Fire Torch will definitely be the highlight of your next outdoor fire. I highly recommend it!

When I was a kid we would find old rotted out logs with holes in the center and put them on the fire and watch mesmerizing flames shoot out the top. This is a little more work, but still easy enough to make, and worth every minute of effort.

You only need a few things to make a torch like this:

• very dry log
• chainsaw
• tinder, kindling, or dried grass
• lighter or matches

Stand the log upright. Using a chainsaw cut the log about 3/4 of the way down making sure not to cut through the entire log. (This was slow going with an electric chainsaw. Wish I had a gas powered one!) Repeat this two more times creating six equal sections in the log.

Add kindling in all of the slices of the log rotating as you go along. I used newspaper, twigs, and kindling from a chopped up 2x4. Make sure you can see through the slices, from one side to the other (don't pack it too tight), so air can flow through and keep the fire going.

Build a small teepee fire on the top of the log and light it. Continue to feed the fire until some of the kindling catches fire inside the slices. After that, it's good to go!

As the fire starts to burn its way downward it will get bigger and bigger catching the kindling on fire along the way. As soon as the fire has burned down past the top of the log it would be perfect to cook on. Unfortunately, I didn't make anything on this fire (my kids were having too much fun playing in the fire...not recommended!).

Photos show the stages of the torch burning all the way down. Turns out I LOVE taking pictures of fire, but that's a side note! Anyway, the log was pretty much gone when we woke up in the morning.

This is very fun and very entertaining! I hope you try it!

**Never leave fire unattended. I put this torch in a safe place (on hydrated grass) away from anything that could catch fire. A fire pit would be even better!