Well, we do put a screen over it to catch fly ash in the summer. It’s not without some risk to burn paper, because big pieces of ash can fly up off of it.
But the reality of it is I’ve tried to light enough fires around here to know that one little piece of burned ash and spark would not cut it. It usually takes every piece of paper trash we’ve got and a lot of fussing and nursing to get a fire going.
9 out of 10 Boy Scouts recommend saving your dryer lint, especially when you run a load of cotton towels or underwear.
It doesn't create ash, it lights even when it's wet, and it burns really hot. I've started some campfires with it that I really believed were going to need a dose of lighter fluid . . . .