Safe places:
Look around you! You'd probably spot if your tent was on a railway line. But it might be in a dry river bed, and rain might be forecast. The trees around you have probably been there longer than you've lived, so most of the time they'll be safe, but as mick91 mentioned strong winds can unexpectedly dislodge things that have been around for a while. If you sleep in the forest, look up first. They don't call them 'widowmakers' for nothing. Rocks can fall too, and it might be from frost not wind. Some places warn about it by the roadside. I live in an area like that.
I like to find places that are at least a little sheltered from the worst of the elements, but I'd steer clear of caves for example. A spot some way up a gentle slope by a good, old, solid stone wall might suit, especially if there are no trees within a hundred yards.
Wood and Fires:
The problem is that there are now so many of us humans that if we all went around chopping down random trees, soon there'd be none left. So the dwindling resource has to be managed, and this is recognized by the law.
You absolutely can't go around chopping down trees or taking branches from them willy-nilly. With few exceptions they'll be no good to burn anyway, the wood won't be dry. In some places you can't even go around collecting fallen branches.
Don't forget that what looks like a pile of dead wood to you is actually a home for myriad creatures that collectively keep you and me alive. I make piles of such wood specifically for those creatures.
You need permission to have a fire. Most places you won't have permission. You can more often use a wood-burning stove or a fire pit. There are many kinds available commercially and you can make one easily. There are many examples of both on BCUK.
Little stoves are vastly more efficient for cooking (and heating) than a ground fire, so you'll use a lot less fuel to get the job done. You can make a fire pit with a steel baking tray or an old ammo box, it's much more manageable than a ground fire.
If you have a fire, you are responsible for it. It must not get out of control, it must not do damage, it must not cause a nuisance.
Typically I would remove any turf, for example, before making a ground fire and replace it afterwards but apart from BCUK meets on 'permissions' I haven't done that for years.
Any fire must be thoroughy extinguished before you leave it. I usually pour waste water on it just to make sure, so I plan my pee as well as my washing.
There are many places (including places in the UK) which are accessible to the public but where ground fires are illegal full stop. There are many more places where it's illegal sometimes.
It's up to you to learn about and know the local area, ignorance is no excuse.
You don't need a great lot of it but it makes life a helluvalot easier if you have something to get the fire going well to begin with. If I'm going to make a fire I take whatever I need to start it with me.
That includes tinder, kindling, and assorted fuels such as meths, wax, petrol, rubber bands, cotton wool, polythene bags, and bits of wood I've chopped up at home.
Depending on where I'm going to be I might take all the fuel I need, but most places I go won't miss a few dry twigs found hanging in the hedgerows etc.
When you've made a fire, then you have to tend it. That's a bigger job than making it.
Be aware that in addition to causing serious fires requiring armies of firefighters, sparks from an open fire can make a real mess of synthetic fabrics really quickly.
Bow Drill:
It's a bit of fun if you're of a mind to do it but most of us wouldn't go to it first if they want to light a fire. Or light anything, in fact.
The bit of a bow drill that takes the most pounding is the cord. The pull-start cord from garden machinery typically powered by internal combustion engines is the hardest wearing stuff that I know of.
Again there's a lot of stuff about bow drill on BCUK:
https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=oeQ4VqDjDNLH8gfo4734Dw#q=bow+drill+site:bushcraftuk.com
Axes:
In the UK I personally carry an axe very rarely. I have a saw on my Leatherman multi-tool and it's most unlikely I'll need more than that to fuel a stove or my Ghillie.
Food:
I'm a big fan of noodles, and I can have a decent meal inside me before you've got to page three of "Food for Free".
If I really had to I'd trap animals to eat, but I don't have to and likely never will. I'm more than comfortable with that.
There's a lot of fruit on trees and in hedgerows in autumn, but the rest of the year is pretty thin and it won't sustain you anyway.
If you really want food for free you're going to have to start digging, but I suppose there's a cost to that.
