I set an unlit campfire on fire?

How would I describe lighting a campfire before it becomes a campfire? Saying "I set a campfire on fire" just sounds very odd, and I've been trying to reword that to make sense. I've tried "I set a camp on fire" but that sounds off (obviously), and "I set a bunch of sticks on fire" which provides no context to what the bundle of sticks were used for.

In any case, how can I best describe lighting a fire for a campfire that hasn't become a campfire yet?

EDIT: As Illmari Karonen points out:

Basically, you seem to be looking for a word that means "unlit campfire" or "pile of wood that will become a campfire once you light it". Alas, I don't think English really has a natural word or phrase for such a concept

Solution 1:

If you want it in that form, try "I set a campfire alight".

"I lit a campfire" would be more usual, but typically encompasses the entire cultural act (collecting wood, finding a suitable place, tending the fire until it is established, that it is somehow "your" fire, and so on) rather than just the act of setting alight.

So, for example:

"After a long day of hard work, he lit a campfire and made a refreshing cup of tea"

but

"High on amphetamine sulphate, he rampaged through the scout camp, felling flagpoles and setting campfires alight."

Solution 2:

You can also "start a campfire."

According to a police report, he started the campfire on Wednesday night and stayed up all night sitting around it.

He started the campfire and she got the coffee pot ready.

Solution 3:

To light a campfire may be a way to express what you want to say.