Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Campfire with Stones on beach in Survival Fountain of Youth
Screenshot by GameSkinny

How to Start a Fire in Survival: Fountain of Youth

Fire is a necessity for survival. Here's how to make some!

One of the most important parts of survival in Survival: Fountain of Youth is having a fire. With fire, you can have warmth, a place to cook, and crafting. Depending on what starting items you choose, you may be all set with making fires. If not, here are some tips on how to get one going.

Recommended Videos

How to Make a Fire in Survival: Fountain of Youth

The first step to starting a fire in Survival: Fountain of Youth is to build a campfire. There are two different types of fires you can make: a campfire and a campfire with stones. Both of them are great for warmth and cooking but use up different amounts of fuel to stay burning.

To build a campfire, open your menu by pressing Tab, and then switch to the Crafting page. Under Blueprints, scroll down until you get to the Machines category, where you’ll see the two options for fires at the top. To make them, you’ll need the proper materials:

RecipeMaterials NeededWhere to Get Them
CampfireSmall Sticks x5From Ocotillos trees or by disassembling scraps
Campfire with StonesStone x3
Small Sticks x5
From rock piles or stone deposits
From trees or by disassembling scraps

Once you have the right materials to make it, you can place it down. However, where you place your fire is also important. You’ll have a harder time lighting and keeping the fire lit if it’s placed near the water or in the wind. You can see what factors are at play by looking at the window on the right of the screen when you’re in placement mode.

How to Ignite a Campfire in Survival: Fountain of Youth

After the campfire spot is made and placed, you can work on igniting it. Keep in mind that fires don’t last forever. If you don’t need warmth or a place to cook or craft, wait before lighting it. Several factors and materials go into keeping a fire, and you won’t want to waste any.

When you’re ready to light, approach the fire and start the ignition process. In the menu, you’ll need to add fuel, a firestarter, and a possible tinder (although tinder is optional).

  • Fuel: This is what keeps the fire going – Small sticks harvested from trees or by disassembling scraps on the beach. (The more you add the longer the fire will stay lit)
  • Firestarter: This is the main item you’ll need to spark a fire. You can craft one in your Crafting menu with the right materials. Depending on the quality of the Firestarter, it will be easier to start a fire and you’ll avoid any injuries while doing so.
    • Spindle Firestarter: Small Sticks x2 (+20% ignition chance, base durability 50)
    • Bow Spindle: Small Stick x1, Tree Bark x1, Liana Rope x1 (+25% ignition chance, base durability 100)
    • (The Iron Flint also works for this and has an even higher durability and ignition chance)
  • Tinder: Makes the process of lighting shorter – Tree Bark harvested from trees, Yellow Leaves from palm trees, Jatoba Gum from Jatoba trees.

After adding all those items to the fire, you can press the Spacebar key to try to ignite it. The materials you are using and the weather conditions will affect your ignition chance. You won’t always succeed in the ignition process every time. You may have to try multiple times before it catches. However, each time you try, you’ll damage more of your Firestarter and risk receiving an injury, so tread carefully. Investing in a better Firestarter could save you time and protect you from any wounds it might inflict.

Depending on how much fuel you add to the fire, the fire will only last for that long. It’s best to use it for any cooking or crafting right away before heading off and completing other tasks. You can add more sticks to the fire to keep it going or start a new fire if it happens to go out.

How to Upgrade a Campfire in Survival: Fountain of Youth

You can eventually make your campfires even better by upgrading them. This will give you more options for crafting and cooking on them and make their durability and duration better as well. To upgrade your campfire, open the Interaction menu and select the Upgrade page from the top.

Depending on what campfire you currently have placed, you can upgrade it with a few different materials. The regular campfire will upgrade to a Campfire with Stones, and the Campfire with Stones will upgrade to a Hearth with a Pot. However, to learn the blueprints for the upgrade, you’ll need to discover all the materials required for the upgrade build. That means having the crafting recipe for the item or finding it on the island. Here’s what you’ll need for the Hearth upgrade:

  • Fired Pot – Crafted from Raw Clay Pots (you’ll need the crafting recipe and resources for it first).
  • Long Stick.
  • Short Stick.
  • Stone.

Keep stocking up on materials to keep your fire lit and work toward upgrading them to better versions. Fires are something you’ll need for just about everything in your survival journey.

Want some more tips like this? Check out GameSkinny’s Survival: Fountain of Youth hub!


GameSkinny is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Abby Smith
Abby Smith
Abby Smith is a super nerd and video game fanatic who grew up playing games on a variety of platforms. Since graduating, she has worked in the online journalism field for over three years. She likes to spend her free time binge-watching Netflix, reading all genres of novels, and playing all the best new video games. She is currently a full-time Staff Writer for GameSkinny, and as an alumni from Full Sail University, also enjoys dabbling in creative writing such as short stories, scripts, and comics on the side.