Fire Pit Safety
Fire pits have become very popular lately. The warmth and joy that radiates from the open fire can make parties, intimate gatherings and simple marshmallow roasts the most sought-after and enjoyable activities of the spring, summer and autumn months. However, fire pits are wrought with dangers, and to ensure the safety of you, your family, and your guests, you should address the following safety concerns.
The Enclosure
A fire pit enclosure can be as simple as a store-bought iron basin or as elaborate as a handmade stone pit. Whatever your choice of enclosure material, the rules for safety remain similar, as follow:
- Place or build your fire pit in a flat, open area. Avoid areas with trees, especially trees with low-hanging branches. Do not place a moveable fire pit on a slope.
- In purchasing a fire pit, always buy the fire screen for extra protection. Also, if you are building a fire pit, purchase a screen that fits your enclosure.
- When possible, place your pit on concrete, dirt, or gravel. Avoid placing the pit on or around grass or leaves, and never light a pit if the grass it is on is too dry.
- In building a pit, build a non-flammable base, like a concrete, dirt, or gravel base. This will decrease the chance of catching materials outside the pit on fire and increase the ambience of your fire pit.
- If building a seating ring to surround the fire pit, ensure the seats are not flammable. Popular, aesthetically-pleasing seating includes concrete, stucco, and metal seats. Also, ensure your immovable seats are positioned properly for enjoyment without danger: 1.2 meters is the optimal distance for fire safety.
Fire Safety
As with any fire situation, there are many safety measurements that can ensure you and yours remain safe. The following safety protocols should be followed in fire pit safety:
- Always have a fire extinguisher handy.
- Keep a first aid kit nearby for any accidental burns.
- Put out the fire completely before leaving the pit unattended or before finishing the evening. Even the smallest fire can become a large fire quickly, so embers should be completely extinguished.
- Do not light a fire in windy conditions. One stray spark can cause a large fire.
- If a fire warning is implemented in your area, do not burn. The dry conditions in the area could influence rampant forest or brush fires based on a single ember or spark.
- Never allow a child to start a fire or to play near the fire. Children should always be closely supervised around a fire pit.
- Always use dry wood and kindling to light your fire. Never use accelerants, garbage, or garden clippings to light a fire. Also, never throw any materials besides seasoned woods onto your fire.
Fire pits have become popular because they offer many evenings of free or low cost entertainment. Though popular, fire pits can be dangerous if not properly used. So, follow the above fire pit safety techniques to make your fire pit evenings as enjoyable and safe as possible.
Rob Long says
We’ve been having firepits for many years with the grand kids in the back yard. Indeed, these are very common across Australia. They have them in front of Parliament House and are essential to all Indigenous smoking ceremony.
Open fires and firepits are legal and all that has to be done is pay attention to fire danger warnings on the radio. The happiness and joy the kids get from the firepit is fantastic, cooking toast and marshmellows a favourite.
Of course, one of the best outcomes of having firepits is the development of risk intelligence. We work with the kids in the lighting and management of the fire and they learn so much. You can’t learn about fire safety from a book or by not lighting a fire or without going camping.
You have to light fires, play with fires and learn about fire by having fires. It’s a bit like learning bike safety by watching a video. There is no such thing as common sense nor risk intelligence by not taking risks. There is no education or learning without risk. Risk makes sense.
Serge Massicotte says
This sounds nice when you live in the boonies. There is no place for a “recreational” fire pit, etc., in an urban environment.
Wood smoke contaminates the environment (land, air and water), contributes to climate change, causes serious health hazards, aggravates health conditions, deprives neighbours the enjoyment of their property and life and transgresses Property Rights when it crosses property lines.
“It’s currently legal to build wood fires in fire pits in Winnipeg. Since many Winnipeggers built homes close together, this results in either a smoky household or a sweltering one, since many of us also don’t have air conditioning. Aside from wandering the neighbourhood to track down the offending fire and beg folks to put it out, we have no option but to shut our windows and sweat.” CBC Journalist – Joanne Seiff. A correct analysis of the situation but the last sentence is not quite accurate.
Quote the Canadian Court: “A man may not use his own property so as to injure his neighbour. When he sends on the property of his neighbour noxious smells, smokes, etc., then he is not doing an act on his own property only, but he is doing an act on his neighbour‘s property also; because every man, by common law, has a right to the pure air, and to have no noxious smells or smoke sent on his land, unless, by a period of time, a man has, by what is called a prescriptive right, obtained the power of throwing a burden on his neighbour‘s property… Everything must be looked at from a reasonable point of view; therefore the law does not regard trifling and small inconveniences – injuries which sensibly diminish the comfort, enjoyment or value of the property which is affected.” The Criminal Code of Canada Section 430(1) and 430(5)(1) covers the issue.
A 1998 Supreme Court (Ohio, U.S.A.) decision reiterated government bodies do not have the right to allow burning resulting in smoke crossing property lines; applies to Canada under other jurisdictions.
We do a poor job educating the public and preserving the health of our children. We can no longer afford to regard the smell of wood smoke as something evocative, nostalgic or natural. The science is not subject to debate: if someone is burning wood, they are shortening the lives of their neighbours. Yet many remain unaware of the facts or refuse to accept them (FamiliesforCleanAir.org). The carcinogenic and toxic gases and chemicals cause cancers and alter DNA in future generations. Our children inherit more than their fair share of health problems; asthma is a prime example and on the rise. If you can smell it your are being harmed.
Almost every time I read about fire pits or open-air fires, I fail to see responsible comments to check local bylaws and the LAW. It’s clearly an omission, especially by those who sell firewood or wood burning appliances. The human factors such as self-indulgence, lack of common sense and integrity are usually ignored: it’s illegal to smoke out your neighbours and can be costly. Our Public Health Officer, in response to COVD-19, stated “stay home and light up a fire.” In Law, the source is irrelevant: fire pit, fireplace, wood stove. Must have breathed in too much wood smoke as it negatively affects white brain cells and the cognitive processes in men and women. The science is not debatable and the earth is not flat.