Fire Lighting Qualification – Level 3 (NCFE CQ Accredited)

Duration: Friday 7 pm to Sunday 12 pm
Accreditation: NCFE CQ Level 3 Certification 

• Course:  Fire Lighting and Tinder Qualification (CQ11152)
• 2026 Dates: 5th-7th June 2026 in Staffordshire, 26th-28th June 2026 in Devon, 7th-9th August 2026 in Devon and 28th-30th August in Staffordshire.
• Venue: Devon (Near Exeter - EX11 1LU) and Staffordshire (Near Burton upon Trent - DE13 9RW).
• Times: 7pm on the Friday - midday on the Sunday.
• Ages:  All ages above 14 years welcome.
• Certificates: From 1st August 2022, all certifications will be in the form of eCertificates.

Course Overview

Take your firecraft skills to a new level with our Level 3 Fire Lighting Course. This concentrated, practical weekend is designed to teach you comprehensive fire-lighting knowledge — from traditional friction methods to modern techniques — and show you how to manage fire responsibly and effectively in wilderness environments. 

Whether you’re new to firecraft or already comfortable lighting campfires, this course will deepen your understanding of fire as a tool — how to build it, maintain it, curate it, transport it, use it safely and extinguish it.  Under expert guidance, you’ll explore fire history, fire chemistry, materials selection, and wilderness-appropriate fire-building methods. 

What You’ll Learn & Do

• History, Theory & Technology of Fire: Understand the background of fire-lighting — the science, terminology and different historical and contemporary methods. 
• Tinder, Fuels & Fire Lays: Learn which materials make the best tinder and fuels, how to prepare them, and how to build fire lays suitable for different conditions (wet, damp, dry, etc.). 
• Fire Lighting Methods — Ancient and Modern: Practice a variety of fire-lighting techniques — including friction fire, iron pyrite and flint, flint & steel and modern methods — to ensure you can reliably start fire in any situation. 
• Charcoal Knowledge: Understand how charcoal can be produced and used — including making charcoal and learning its uses in wilderness contexts. 
• Leave-No-Trace & Environmental Responsibility: Learn how to light, maintain and extinguish fires in a way that respects nature and leaves no lasting impact on the environment. 

Why Choose This Course

• Accredited Qualification: Earn a Level 3 NCFE CQ certificate — a robust credential showing you have serious fire-lighting and wilderness-survival skills. 
• Real-World, Practical Learning: This isn’t just theory — over the weekend you’ll be lighting, running and managing fires using real materials, learning first-hand how fire works outdoors. 
• Versatile Skills for Any Outdoor Setting: Whether you’re camping, bushcrafting, hiking, or preparing for survival scenarios — the fire skills you acquire are widely useful.
• Small Group, Supportive Instruction: Under expert guidance in a controlled and safe environment, you’ll build confidence and competence with hands-on practice.

Ideal For

• Anyone who wants to learn or improve wilderness-safe fire-lighting skills.
• Bushcraft enthusiasts, campers, hikers or survival hobbyists.
• People interested in wilderness cooking, fire-based tool use, or outdoor self-sufficiency.
• Those seeking a recognised qualification to demonstrate their competence in firecraft and wilderness skills.