What he said below LOL .... Kinda covers it, its a balancing act, small fire box in one of those likely very easy to keep the optimum flue temperature, and efficiency up, soot and creosote down etc. I think the easiest way to describe is to use flue temperature as a guideline, because you know the fire is right, not too cool, and obviously not turning the pipe orange, roaring etc.
Everyone burns different kinds of wood, different size flue, pipe, draft's vary per the place where it is and so on, but starting with dry and or seasoned firewood, is the best place to begin to discuss managing ones firebox and flue temps.
Dry wood burns the hottest, it creates the least amount of creosote, BTU's will vary per what you burn. It ignites easy so restarting a fire is usually very easy, then you adjust the air being drafted in, and check the flame, fire, stoke and adjust to your liking and that's basically it, check flue temp, good, leave the door damper alone, cooler, open the damper more, (not flue damper, adjust whats on the door or front of stove)
Some people like my dad, have an air tight efficient stove, he's got a wood shed attached to the house right out the door, so the wood is usually extremely dry. Small fire box, its a Better'N Ben's stove fireplace insert. He will get a fire going, bed of coals, add a few pieces, then literally choke the darned thing down both flue damper and door damper, creating a smoldering heap in there or so I think, judging by the smoke that chokes you out when working around the place. I've run that stove and its darned efficient, so easy to control the fire with super dry wood, like 2-3 yr seasoned in that shed, you could easily get it very hot, so I may cut the flue damper a bit, and adjust the door damper or air flow down, but not cut it off, and keep an even fire going, I check the flue to figure out the best setting, white smoke, needs more air, flue exhaust should be clear, for the most part, once you have a fire going. Steam/condensate when its cold like it is now, around 0 degrees F.
If I were to take that dry wood or say like the top portion of small diameter, dead elm like I have here and put that at the back of my firebox, the draft I get and the overall way this old Ashley Automatic HFR-25 is arranged, the fire from those dry kinds of wood, will immediately come to a roaring, oxygen fueled 6" diameter blow torch right up the stack. That I don't want, so if it does happen, I use the flue damper, to hold back those flames til it dies down or I can shift the fire back further so the flames are not sucked up the pipe, and are focused on the cast iron top, which seems to provide much more heat, than when the flame goes out the pipe. If I know I have a decent fire, depending on the wood I am using and moisture content, I may use the flue damper and just cut off a little, as well as reduce oxygen, if I will be away from the stove, am setting for the rest of the night etc. I never walk away from in when first fired, thats when its the hottest, just safer to let it settle in, get some coals, add larger pieces stacked just so, and just check the flue temp or flame, I need a magnet thermometer myself for the pipe, I have measured it up top with a certain amount of wood and flame and it was ok, not going to produce much if any creosote, I check throughout the season and the practices I've used as per what I have described, has always gotten me good results, after awhile it sinks in as to what is a smokey smoldering fire, and what is optimum, but still reduced to last a little longer. Ones stove, the wood they use and the way its set up, flue pipe, draft all come into play with this.
Where my stove is, downstairs basement with 4+ car garage at the other end, I get an excellent draft, you can feel it close to the floor, the stove will heat the area near it up to 90 degrees F, when cold I'll keep it 75-80 F and you can sit in that area, kind of a man cave, some recliners, TV, fridge, its warm and cozy, though the colder air moves below, its not drafty, nor is it taking much heat to provide combustion air, my fireplaces are like that, takes outside air into the firebox.
I play games with the wood sometimes, there have been times where I did not have enough, so I've had to cut what I need to burn right now from the wooded areas, selecting the driest I could find, like the elm, then taking wood that dries down quickly like black cherry and stacking behind the stove against the concrete wall, each fire I have dries it further and in a few days, its close to what most consider seasoned. In that case I split it smaller, use small diameter elm that does not need to be split, and mix to achieve the results I describe above. I never use green wood, but I may have to work off logs I have stockpiled for a few years, like the cherry. I can mix dry with wood that has some moisture, split small and get good results. I find that in this stove, extremely dry wood, can be dangerous, wood can shift and a flame roar up, with a tad bit of moisture, and never worry about that. Dry black cherry mixed with seasoned oak, is a great combination to avoid overfiring, the cherry and when at its driest, still evens the score, as that oak, even larger chunks, will burn hot for awhile, can overfire if too much but then dies down, eventually leaving nice coals. I can get a nice "roiling" flame under that cast iron top and have the pipe be cooler, and boy does she throw heat fast, I like this old stove design for many reasons. I could go on and on about this, as managing your firebox, wood supply and inspecting, cleaning the flue is kind of interesting.
The bottom line is burn the driest hardwood you can find, inspect, clean your flue, maintain the optimum flue temp, (look it up I forget what temp is good) and do not over fire the stove. What can happen, say like my dads, he will run the stove like that, then someone else not knowing, could put a bunch of paper, dry kindling, overfire it and get that creosote (which was built up from the choked fires) to ignite and cause a chimney fire, concern there is how to get it out and to protect the roof from sparks, embers or whatever may come out and land on shingles or combustible materials. One should always have a plan for a chimney fire, me I can cut oxygen, extinguish the fire, might smoke out the downstairs, so I'll open the garage doors. I can cut oxygen from the bottom of flue from a clean out, and the top. What I don't want is a firehose with water down my 8"x12" clay tile flue, which would crack and I'd have to then run 6" or 8" stainless flex pipe.
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Today's Featured Article - Talk of the Town: The Saga of Grandpa's Tractor - by The following saga is from the Tractor Talk Discussion Forum. Someone. The saga starts with the following message: Hey guys I have a decision to make. I know what you all will probably suggest and it will probably agree with me way down inside, but here it is. I have a picture blown up and framed in my "tractor room" of a Farmall M. It was my Grandpa's tractor, of which whom I never got to meet. He froze to death getting this tractor out of the barn to pull a truck out of the ditch before I was born. Anyway my dad and aunt had to sell it at the auction,
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