A wood fireplace, in some cases, is a fuel-efficient way to heat the home, but this is all for naught if you can't get a fire started. Starting a fire properly ensures you get an evenly burning fire that does not go out and that uses the heat of previously burning logs to catch new ones on fire. Starting a good fire can keep the heat as even as possible to prevent wasting good wood.
Remove the glass cover from your fireplace if it has a glass shield.
Make a few balls of paper into tight balls and place them in the center of the firebox, on the firebrick.
Make a tepee of dried kindling over the kindling, completely surrounding it. Kindling should be quick to burn, so use soft wood, such as pine.
Light the paper in the middle of the kindling, using a long stove match to get the fire started. The fire should catch the kindling. Open the flue of the fireplace put the glass cover for the fireplace back into position if it has one.
Place hardwood such as cedar or cherry on the fire to make the fire bigger. Hard wood is slower to burn and provides more heat. Use mature wood that has been seasoned for at least a year for the best fuel efficiency.