• Guide

How to start a fire - DayZ

Here's a guide on all the different ways you can start a fire to keep warm in DayZ.

Bill Lavoy

January 23, 2024 11:00 AM

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Whether you’re playing on vanilla maps or using a mod, DayZ can be a cold game for those that don’t have the proper clothing. On Sakhal, even the proper clothing isn't enough. Let your temperature dip too much for too long and you’ll be in real trouble. Keeping warm isn’t complicated if you know what you’re doing, though, so in this guide I’ll show you how to quickly make a fire to either cook your food or keep yourself warm.

How to start a fire

To start a fire in DayZ, you’ll need three things: kindling, fuel, and a means of ignition. The proper method is to craft a fireplace, although there's a shortcut I'll teach you in just a minute.

To craft a Fireplace, collect Light/Dark Bark, Paper, a Rag, or a Bandage, and combine it with either a Short Stick or Firewood. Hold one of the items in your hands, then drag the other and drop it into your hands from your inventory or the vicinity. When you do this, you’ll get the option to craft a Fireplace. Do so, and a Fireplace will be placed on the ground near you. You can then look at it, pick it up and hold it in your hands, and place it elsewhere, such as in a permanent Fireplace in a home or most places on the ground outside. With the Fireplace crafted, you’re only missing the ignition portion of the equation. For this, you’ll typically use a Lighter, Matches, or Hand Drill Kit, but there are other means to light a fire.

However, you can start a fire much faster. Take any kindling item from the table above and place it on the ground or in one of the pre-existing fireplaces in DayZ. You can then take your ignition source (Matches, Lighter, or Bow Drill Kit) into your hands, look at the kindling or fireplace, and choose the option to ignite. You will need to add fuel in the form of Short Sticks or Firewood, otherwise your fire will go out very quickly.

If you have no traditional means to light the fire, you can craft a Hand Drill Kit by combining a Short Stick and a piece of Light/Dark Bark. Once again, hold one of the items in your hands and drag the other and drop it into your hands to combine them. You might see the option to craft a Fireplace, but you can scroll to instead select the option to craft a Hand Drill Kit. Do so, then pick up the Hand Drill Kit and hold it in your hands. If you approach and look at the fireplace you crafted while holding a means to ignite it, you’ll get the option to do so.

Once the fire is lit you can do many things with it, including adding more fuel, cooking, burning unwanted items, or even adding components to make it more functional and permanent. However, in the early hours of a DayZ run, most players just need to warm up quickly and get back on the trail. In that case, you know everything you need to do just that.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.