Gas fumes sink, then they travel. Using gas is not a real good idea, you might be standing where they are collecting and that "whomp" will be close to home.
Just a little dab will do ya of any of the accelerants. I am not fond of burning tires, to dirty and I never had the need, Though I have a buddy that cant burn paper without using a tire. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Start small, campfire small. Once that is going add to it until you get some coals. Coals are what you need to burn stumps and green wood. If you dont have enough semi dry in the pile to build a big coal bed then you might as well wait a few months to save the aggravation. The end of Feb should be damp and chilly, good time to burn big.