[RESIDENTIAL BURNING, cont.]

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How do I build a good hot fire that does not produce a lot of smoke?

The Boy Scouts of America recommend when burning a fire: 

1. Use dry, seasoned wood. Do not burn material that has just been cut or has been soaked by moisture.
2. Use a mixture of material of different sizes and thickness. Start with small tinder: like dry moss or really dry pine needles. Next, put kindling into the fire. Kindling are small pieces of wood no larger than the width of one of your fingers. Arrange your third and last material, the "fuel" (larger material), in a teepee type style. Put a break in the pattern, like a door to the teepee, facing into the wind. This break allows the breeze to blow into the fire and creates a hotter, more efficient fire.
3. Light your fire with matches, no fuel (gasoline, lighter fluid, etc.) should be necessary, through the door of the teepee. Start by lighting the tinder, the tinder will then catch the remaining material on fire. Add material as the fire burns hot and quickly.