Yeah, fires are absolutely regional, and fine grained at that because it comes right down to the very spot you choose to build one.

I admit it, I build campfires almost every time I go backpacking. I love them. I think they're great. It's one of the joys of living in the Ozarks that we can have them here.

Lot's of Rural Ozarkers heat there homes with wood too. Most all save up dead fall over the warm months just to have campfires in the cold months. The neighbors and I cut, split, and share fallen trees and gather deadfall after storms in our yards and from the forest. Then we'll all join together down at the fire rings we all have over the course of the cool season and whoop it up outside. Our kids have bonfire parties "down at the creek", and together, we burn it all up. It's a way of life here, and if we didn't do it we'd all be at risk from wildfires during the dry spells.

I don't think I've ever been anywhere wetter in my life than the rain forest in the PNW. It's funny, but around here if you start a story with "I was hiking in the rain forest in California" you'll see some very puzzled looks.

Fine steel wool makes a good fire starter too. ULHiker showed me that last year. He lit it off a small bit with a fire steel and man, that stuff took off fast and burned hot. Got our campfire going with one strike.