For our example, we will be using a small, portable, bellows fed forge. We will be lighting the fire using a combination of new, green coal and coke from previous fires. If you are starting a fire with only green coal, the steps are virtually the same, you just can’t use coke at the core of the fire. The differences will be noted as we continue.
     The first step is to clean out the fire pot. Remove all the old fuel, sifting it to remove as much of the ash as possible and all visible clinkers. Sort the fuel into two groups, coke and coal, as we will use coke at the core of the fire and add the coal to the perimeter. Don’t forget to empty the ash dump!