Fire

Dig a Dakota fire hole

A Dakota fire hole is a small cooking fire built in a pit with a separate air intake connected near the bottom. You can use it where fires and digging are permitted and the ground is firm, dry mineral soil without roots or buried organic material. Rising hot gases draw fresh air through the intake tunnel, helping a small fire burn steadily. The pit shelters the flames from wind and reduces their visibility, but it does not make the fire windproof, smokeless, or undetectable.

Fire 25 min practice Intermediate Choose level, open ground with stable mineral soil, away from vegetation, overhanging branches, buried utilities, and archaeological sites. Avoid peat, duff, root-filled ground, loose sand, saturated soil, and places where digging would damage the site.

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Topic summary

Key takeaways

The pit walls and soil bridge remain firm, with no cracks or slumping.
Once established, a small fire burns steadily with relatively little smoke and no flame emerging from the intake.
Your cookware sits securely on the grate with an exhaust gap around it.
Before backfilling, the stirred ash, remaining fuel, and surrounding soil are cold throughout, with no smoke or steam.
Avoid: Digging through roots or organic soil can start a hidden ground fire, so choose bare mineral soil or use an established permitted fire site instead.
Avoid: Making the openings too close together or enlarging the tunnel excessively weakens the soil bridge, so retain solid ground between them and stop if it cracks.

Intended uses

Fire skill (Intermediate, ~25 min practice)
Requires: Small shovel or digging trowel, Matches or lighter, Metal cooking grate, Water container, Metal poker

Climate suitability

Choose level, open ground with stable mineral soil, away from vegetation, overhanging branches, buried utilities, and archaeological sites. Avoid peat, duff, root-filled ground, loose sand, saturated soil, and places where digging would damage the site.

TA Outdoors — The Dakota Fire Hole Watch on YouTube

Safety: Never use this fire in a tent, shelter, or enclosed space, and keep water within reach throughout the burn. Do not reach into an underground tunnel or use a pit with cracking, slumping, or unsupported walls.

Required tools

Small shovel or digging trowel
Matches or lighter
Metal cooking grate
Water container
Metal poker

Required materials

Dry tinder
Dry kindling
Small pieces of dry firewood
Water for extinguishing

Step-by-step

Dig a vertical pit about 2 feet deep and 1 foot wide where you want the fire.
Why: The vertical pit contains the fuel and shelters the flame, but the specified depth of about 2 feet is deeper than many cooking versions and makes lighting, maintenance, and extinguishing harder. Dig it only in stable, root-free mineral soil; abandon the site if the walls will not hold safely.
Dig a second, smaller hole the same depth roughly 1 foot away, connected to the first by a horizontal tunnel at the bottom.
Why: A separate intake connected near the bottom supplies oxygen below the fuel rather than relying entirely on air entering from above. Keep a sound soil bridge between the openings, place the intake toward the prevailing breeze, and slope the tunnel slightly upward toward the fire pit to discourage embers from rolling into it.
Pile kindling in the main pit and light it; the second hole pulls air in and feeds the flames from below.
Why: Loosely arranged tinder and kindling let the first flames heat the pit and establish a draft through the intake. Add small fuel gradually and keep the tunnel mouth clear so ash and wood do not choke the airflow.
Cook on a small grate or lay sticks across the main pit.
Why: A stable metal grate supports your cooking vessel while leaving space for hot gases to escape around it. Do not rely on sticks laid across the opening as cookware supports, because they can char through and drop the vessel into the fire.
When finished, fill both holes with the excavated soil and tamp down.
Why: Backfilling and tamping restore the ground only after the fire is fully extinguished; covering live coals with soil can leave a concealed, smoldering hazard. First drown and stir the fuel and ash, repeat until everything is cold throughout, then refill both holes and the connecting void with the excavated soil and tamp gently.

Tip: Angle the connecting tunnel slightly upward toward the fire pit so falling embers don't roll into the air intake.

Common mistakes

Digging through roots or organic soil can start a hidden ground fire, so choose bare mineral soil or use an established permitted fire site instead.
Making the openings too close together or enlarging the tunnel excessively weakens the soil bridge, so retain solid ground between them and stop if it cracks.
Packing the pit with fuel blocks the draft, so build a small, loose fire and add wood a little at a time.
Covering the entire opening with cookware restricts exhaust, so leave an open gap around the vessel.
Burying hot coals conceals rather than reliably extinguishes them, so use water and stirring until the contents are completely cold before backfilling.

Troubleshooting

If the fire smolders, then check that both tunnel mouths are open and replace damp fuel with small, dry pieces.
If flames or embers emerge from the intake, then stop adding fuel, keep clear of that opening, and extinguish the fire if the reverse flow persists.
If either opening cracks or slumps, then stop cooking, extinguish the fire, and abandon the excavation.
If the ash or surrounding soil remains warm after wetting, then add more water and stir again rather than backfilling.

Field practice drill

At a permitted practice site, spend about 25 minutes selecting suitable ground, excavating the two openings, and checking the connection from outside with a tool. If the excavation is stable and you have enough time and water for complete extinguishment, light a small fire and observe how loose fuel and a clear intake affect the burn. Otherwise, practice without lighting; never let the practice time limit rush extinguishing or restoration.

Indicators of success

The pit walls and soil bridge remain firm, with no cracks or slumping.
Once established, a small fire burns steadily with relatively little smoke and no flame emerging from the intake.
Your cookware sits securely on the grate with an exhaust gap around it.
Before backfilling, the stirred ash, remaining fuel, and surrounding soil are cold throughout, with no smoke or steam.

Related outdoor skills

Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.