What Are the Rules for Fire Pits?
What are you planning for some summer fun this year? Why not build a backyard fire pit and sit around the fire with your family to end a long day of fun? From making smores to telling spooky stories, fire pits are plenty of entertainment for the entire family. Before you build it and light your first blaze, you must consider safety. This is a fire you’re dealing with, and a wrong move could mean a trip to the hospital or cause a wildfire. This post goes over the rules for a fire pit, pay attention and stay safe.
What Are the Rules for Fire Pits?
Build a Fire in the Open Fire Pit
If you have a portable fire pit, never light it under trees or overhangs. Keep the area around the fire pit clear of yard debris such as leaves and other flammable/combustible materials. It is possible for sparks to blow out, igniting dry wood, or structures, resulting in a fire emergency.
Check the Direction of the Wind
Check the weather before you light a fire. Don’t use the fire pit if it’s especially windy outdoors. Not only does strong wind create a lackluster fire pit experience, but there’s a chance the flames and sparks could carry and ignite surrounding structures or brush.
It’s important to check the wind direction before starting both wood-burning fire pits and gas fire pits. If it is slightly windy, seat yourself and your guests on the leeward side of the fire, away from the smoke. If you own a portable outdoor fire pit, try moving it to locations with natural windbreaks instead.
Pay Attention to No-Burn Alerts
Some municipalities will issue a no-burn alert, otherwise known as a burn ban when emissions are high, and weather conditions increase fine particulate matter in the air, resulting in unhealthy air quality. You’ll need to comply with local laws and safety tips to help safeguard the community and avoid a fine.
Never Leave the Fire Pit Unattended
It might seem obvious to never leave the fire pit unattended, especially when the flames are raging. However, it’s just as important to pay attention to the fire when it dies, and the hot coals remain.
Don’t leave the fire unattended at any stage, not even to go inside to get a drink or to go to the bathroom. Someone should have eyes on the fire at all times. When you turn in for the night, douse the flames with a bucket of water and ensure the fire is completely out before going to bed.
Fire Pit Safety Tip – Pour water over the embers, turn the logs to ensure all sides stop burning and move the coals around to ensure everything is out. Even small embers are enough to start a wildfire.
Store Your Firewood Away from the Fire Pit
You need to feed the fire to keep it burning. It’s important to keep the stack of firewood far from the pit. Don’t keep extra firewood close to the fire, or the wind could change direction, igniting it without you noticing. The next thing you know, you have a raging fire on your hands that you can’t control.
Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy
Sitting around the fire pit with the family is a magical experience in the summer or the winter months. However, we need to treat fire pits with respect and understand it for the destructive, unpredictable force it is. If you follow the fire pit safety tips in this post, you shouldn’t have any problems.
However, having something nearby like a garden hose, a shovel, sand, a fire extinguisher, or a fire blanket is important. If things turn for the worse, you have something to regain control of the situation. Teach your kids how to respect the fire pit and the flames and teach them the principle of “stop, drop, and roll” before any emergency arises.
Chances are you’ll never need any of these protective measures, but they’ll pay off if things go wrong.
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