I have a Hot Blast wood/coal furnace. I use the little bars Walmart sells for starting fireplace fires. They are made of the same thing as a fireplace log.
I break off 1/3 of a piece of the fire starter. (About a 3" piece) light it and let it get going a bit as I hold it in my fingers carefully. I then lay it on a flat piece of hard wood. Preferably a thin piece.
(My thought here is that any residual sticky leftovers from the fire starter will be consumed by the wood fire from the wood slab under the starter.)
I have never found any trace of the starter stick using this method. I am new to Coal furnace lighting but I have been doing this in my fireplace for years with good luck.
I then lay kindling and make a little tee pee and add larger pieces as the fire builds. I then add small amounts of my Anthricite nut size coal. Add as the coal ignites. In time I have my coal burning nice.
I take a beer down in the basement with me and while I wait for things to come together I sip my beer and cut kindling for the next fire. Sometimes I go upstairs and get another beer.
Anyone see a reason to be conserned with this? Its so easy and the fire starters are plentiful and cheap.