In National Barbecue Week, wood-fuel specialist, Logs Direct, has unveiled a new fire-lighting hero – Burnie – now on board with the Lancaster-based team, to come to the rescue of anyone who struggles with getting their fire started, whether indoors or outdoors.
Through the creation of Burnie, Logs Direct is tapping into the minds of the next generation. Burnie has a huge fire-safety message to spread, as well as being environmentally focused and on a mission to get the nation to burn the right type of wood.
His creation forms part of a wider education initiative, which will see Logs Direct working with schools to get pupils – and through them their parents – better reconnected with wood.
Burnie, with his friendly wink and smile, is to be spotted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and those wishing to find him can simply search the handle @BurnietheBurner to learn all about his message on fire safety and sustainability. He will also feature on some of Logs Direct’s products in the coming months.
His creation has been linked to the arrival of the Danish ‘Burner Firestarter’ in the. Logs Direct online store. This is a simple-to-use sachet that can be deployed when lighting a solid-fuel or wood-burning stove, a barbecue, a bonfire or even a good old campfire. This will be the first product emblazoned with the cheeky chappy’s grin.
Logs Direct is the sole UK distributor for Burner Firestarter which it has adopted because the firelighter is so safe and easy to use and has eradicated the frustrations that come with lighting a fire outdoors. With just one Burner Firestarter sachet, or two sachets if you want to get the fire absolutely roaring, a fire can be lit in a matter of seconds. It is a case of just dropping the sachet on to the kindling, putting the ignition source close and letting the sachet work its magic. There is no nasty odour left on the fingers, which makes a huge difference.
But Burnie’s job is not just to guide customers towards the safest way to light a fire. He is also here to highlight the benefits of using diverse and innovative products that are kinder to the environment. All logs at Logs Direct have undergone the kiln drying process, meaning they all have a moisture content of under 20 per cent, enabling a heat-intensive fire with an extended burning time.
Freshly cut wood may contain as much as 90 per cent moisture or more, which means the water in the wood weighs more than the wood itself. Building a fire from wet wood is far less efficient because so much energy is lost in warming water to steam.
Worryingly, a fire started with wet wood also produces harmful smoke, releasing pollutants and small particles into the air and it is this that causes the ‘smog’ fears that make big headlines. Burning ready-to-burn wood is a carbon-neutral process, on the other hand.
Other environmentally innovative products supplied by Logs Direct are. Coffee Logs™ from bio-bean®. These are eco-logs made from the waste of coffee grounds, which are used to produce a 100 per cent carbon-neutral fuel that diverts waste away from landfill. Wine Logs, made from pressed grape seeds, are another example of innovative thinking in the world of logs.
“Burnie’s message is that it is not the log burner, pizza oven, or campfire that is bad for the environment, but what people sometimes wrongly burn in these devices,” says Logs Direct’s sales director, Stephen Talbot. “Burnie will be on packaging and prominent on social media, offering his helpful tips for fire safety and environmental awareness. Through him, we hope to educate the younger generation, who are the wood burners of the future.”
