Starting an emergency fire in the snow-covered winter backcountry can be a challenge. You can’t build a fire directly on top of the snow, which means you need to find or create alternative support for your nascent flame.

• Look for dry tree wells. The area immediately next to the trunk is usually the most sheltered and often snow-free or close to it. Be careful that the branches overhead are not covered with snow—it could fall and snuff out the fire.

• Lay a bed of wet or damp branches on the snow to create a platform for building a fire. The broad needle splays of freshcut fir or hemlock branches work well.

• Scan for other alternatives, including rock outcrops, fallen tree trunks, and exposed root balls, or other snow-free surfaces. Do not use your space blanket as a fire foundation—it will melt.

This column originally appeared in the print edition of AMC Outdoors along with the column “The Spark of Life: Fire-starting essentials for any survival kit.”

(Photograph by iStock.)