To run a fire in the forge, there are several different kinds of fuels a metalcrafter could use. Coal is the most popular, however. Because of how long it burns, and the minimal amount of ash that it produces, makes it the most popular.

Wood, however, is another type of fuel that you can use. Green or seasoned wood both work. However, wook is consumed rather fast, and may need to be watched a bit more than coal. Green wood will cut down your consumption rate, but you will need to pay a greater amount of attention to it. Seasoned wood, however, will cut down on the attention, but you need more of it. Another problem with wood is that it produces more ash than coal does, making it also less popular because of that, and because the forge tends to need more of the wood, and less of the coal.

There is yet another alternative to this, Charcoal. Charcoal, however, a crafter would also go through relatively fast, as compared to the coal. It also produces a large amount of ash, necessitating that you be near the outdoors, or have a very good flue. Charcoal in small chunks will create a 'close' fire, which you need for a forge, but it increases the consumption rate. Keeping them in a larger form however, does not create a 'close' fire. Wetting them beforehand, will get rid of this problem, however, and also keep the consumption of the charcoal down. Yet, because it produces so much ash it makes it rather unpopular with the Metalcrafters. The ash is hard to clean out of the forge, and it takes up too much time.

Coal is, as stated, the most popular fuel for a forge. It burns as hot as the others, but you need to use less of it, as it lasts longer. Also, it produces signifigantly less ash than either the wood or the charcoal. It produces a 'close' fire that the charcoal sometimes does not, and needs much less tending than the wood fire does. Coal takes up as much room in the forge as the charcoal does, and much, much less than the wood. But, because of how fast the charcoal burns, and how much ash it produces, Coal is again chosen above it. For the MetalCrafters, Coal is the most efficient fuel for the forges. And since the Smithcraft is always looking for more efficient ways of doing things, this is a very good choice.