First fire after humid summer

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

John Kuhn

Member
Dec 29, 2017
92
Wisconsin
Finally decided to make my first fire this morning, given frost this morning and forecast for a cloudy high in the 40s today. Here in Wisconsin we've had a crazy humid rainy late summer and fall. The humidity has soaked everything, including the newspaper in the house which took two matches to unenthusiastically light. Kindling was split from some old kiln dried lumber which had been in my shed under cover all summer, was slow to catch. Draft seemed fine (no measurement but you could feel the air flow at the door, and no smoke in the house). Eventually the fire took hold, has anybody else noticed this?
 
I’m in Michigan and have experienced a very similar summer season. It was 80 some degrees two days ago. I literally went from running the AC one day to lighting my first fire the next!!! What the hell is going on here it’s October.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iceman2424
Im planning to do a fire this weekend at some point. Just to heat the stove up and do the first burn. The stove smells kinda funny on the first burn every year. I wanna get that out of the way
I am glad that the season has turned more to fall like because im so over the overly warm temps and humidity
 
  • Like
Reactions: adrpga498
We have the same weather. And have experienced similar early burning results. Just a very odd stretch of terribly wet/humid weather.
 
I find the first few fires to sometimes be a challenge . . . but mostly due to a sometimes marginal or reversed draft . . . and things always seem to burn better with a nice bed of ash. Even better (and easier ironically enough) is when I am burning 24/7 . . . relighting or getting the fire going from coals is much, much easier.
 
I’m in Michigan and have experienced a very similar summer season. It was 80 some degrees two days ago. I literally went from running the AC one day to lighting my first fire the next!!! What the hell is going on here it’s October.
Yeah...couldn't agree more! We've had so much rain, humidity and seasonally warm weather I can't stand it. I have literally been running the central air round the clock for the last month and only got a break starting this morning when temps dropped into mid 50's. I love crisp fall weather and it seems like the last few autumn seasons we just have an extended summer until November:( Never been a big global warming guy but it makes you wonder what the hell is going on! Anyway, not going to light a fire until it gets real chilly...low 40's for me!
 
Yeah...couldn't agree more! We've had so much rain, humidity and seasonally warm weather I can't stand it. I have literally been running the central air round the clock for the last month and only got a break starting this morning when temps dropped into mid 50's. I love crisp fall weather and it seems like the last few autumn seasons we just have an extended summer until November:( Never been a big global warming guy but it makes you wonder what the hell is going on! Anyway, not going to light a fire until it gets real chilly...low 40's for me!
40 and rainy here with a frost advisory tonight so I will be be lighting my 3rd fire after the kiddos go to bed.
It is pretty lame that we haven’t been getting any sort of real fall weather.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikey517
First fire last night went very well. I replaced door gaskets on older 2door Castine in early Sept. all went well. I like to burn all "ugly" type splits in this shoulder season saving the good stuff for 24/7 burns .
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikey517
It's been really wet here on the east coast too. It went from being 75 every day to a high of 53 today. Boo!

I usually start the first fire by policing up a stoveful of sticks out of the yard, but not this year. Everything is soggy!
 
Just the opposite here. Driest May through August on record. We got a little rain in Sept and early Oct, but nothing serious. Now we are in the middle of what looks to be another 2 week dry period.
 
I've been burning wood everyday now...tis the season..

Received over 5 " of rain this month here....lots of cloudy , misty , rainy days , can't even get in the fields to harvest the crops now.

It started raining mid Aug. and never stopped enough to dry out .

Then next year I'll be complaining of a drought and that we need rain badly...