Besides pumpkin spice lattes and the somehow-always-changing Halloween props at Cali N Tito’s, autumn sparks the beginning of fire pit season. If you’re in the market for a fire pit, or are considering building one in your yard, here’s a few ways to avoid a sad smolder and reach a bright, cheery blaze.
Renters Beware: Everyone should be mindful of where they want to place their fire pit, but it might be more trouble than it’s worth for renters. Leases generally ban any open flames, like grills and fire pits. Granted, I broke that rule for only the best parties and still set the borrowed pit as far away from the rental home as I could go. If you’re renting and want that campfire feel, I’d head to Normal Bar once the temperature drops to enjoy their outdoor fire pits. Other opportunities for fans of the flame include the sanctioned pits at Sandy Creek Park.
County Regs: If you’ve got a bunch of leaves and limbs from Hurricane Helene, don’t throw them in a giant pile and burn them. That’s considered “open burning,” and it’s not allowed in Athens-Clarke County. Leaf-and-limb will remove roadside debris and turn it into compost at the county landfill. Though it takes longer, compost doesn’t degrade air quality and can’t accidentally set your house on fire.
Fire pits can be used for “recreational purposes or for cooking food for immediate human consumption,” according to the ACC Code of Ordinances Section 4-4-1. So, if you’ve got an outdoor fire where you’re toasting marshmallows over a few logs, that’s fine. Place fire pits at least 25 feet away from any structures, and make sure you’ve got a water hose on hand. If some old, dead wood fell during the storm, that could become good firewood for a backyard burn, once it dries out. Green wood and leaves will make the fire smoke. Just in case: Don’t burn trash. It’s illegal in Athens, it smells gross, and your neighbors will likely hate you for it.
Size and Shape: If you’re eyeballing available fire pits this fall, go for sturdy, deep models, which will provide good air flow. Avoid the shallow, UFO-shaped pits, especially those with a metal fire guard on top. The shallow pits can only hold a few logs at a time. Ideally, you want space for coals, currently baking logs and air flow. The metal fire guard might look like a good idea, especially if you have kids. Maybe it’s great for kids. For adults, the metal fire guard seems to cause more burnt hands than it prevents. If a metal fire guard is necessary, a deeper pit where you can start the fire and leave it to burn without much poking and prodding would be best.
Some fire pits come with holes in the bottom for proper air flow. If you’re not a fire aficionado, this could help give your fire the needed oxygen to burn without worrying too much about log cabin vs. teepee fire builds. The ventilation hole will also allow rain water (and dowsing water), to run out of the fire pit automatically. Otherwise, your fire pit could become another mosquito breeding ground in your yard. If you opt for a fire pit with a ventilation hole at the bottom, make sure you’ve got gravel, sand, fire bricks or some other non-flammable surface below it. Ash and hot coals will fall out of it occasionally and should have a safe landing spot.
Fuel for Fires: I despise the little bundles of logs covered in plastic and sold throughout the winter. It’s unnecessary landfill trash. Much of the packaged wood doesn’t burn well because it was dried through commercial processes, instead of allowed to dry out over a longer period of time. Plenty of local firewood sellers will deliver a truckload to your home. Placing your order early on will ensure seasoned wood, perfect for burning. I’ve found most of the seasoned wood sold out by December.
Stack your logs in a spot protected from the rain. It’s best to use all of it before April. Stacks of firewood left in the same place during the warmer months can attract pests like snakes, mice and termites.
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