A wood-burning fire pit is considered safe with a smoke screen, and proper safety guidelines are maintained. However, it still produces ash, smoke, and embers. Remember that both fixed and portable wood-burning fire pits are outdoor fire pits.
Wood-burning fire pits are not recommended for indoor use, as they are considered dangerous in an enclosed space. However, if you want a backyard patio fire pit with low cost, cooking features, more heat, and a traditional warm look, a wood-burning fire pit is a good choice.
How Safe Wood Burning Fire Pits?
The most century-old practice of enjoying a warm fire is digging a hole, throwing some wood, and lighting it; the wood-burning fire pit is the classic version of this practice. No fuel can beat wood when it comes to heat and cooking.
But, our question comes to safety and security, where the wood-burning fire pit is lacking in many scops than gas fire pits. A wood-burning fire pit is safe only when you take the safety requirements and remember that no fire pit is accident-proof. Without safety precautions and measurements, fire disasters may happen to any fire pit or chiminea.
Here are some common safety issues that come with wood-burning fire pits:
1. Fuel and burnable goods:
When people get an open fire, they get highly excited, and for some reason, it is unknowingly fun to many people to throw debris, leaves, paper, or anything to the fire and watch it burn. But, this is one of the main safety problems that you create on your own. When building up a wood-faced fire pit, fuel is essential. And burning only firewood is the correct thing to do. Many things do not seem explosive or reactive at first, but when thrown into the fire, they can react and create a disaster.
2. Ember or Spark:
According to the states, this is one of the problems that only happen in the case of wood-burning fire pits and is one of the significant reasons for fire disasters. The embers fly and catch any leaf or paper, and the fire disaster starts. It also produces smoke and ashes, which is the reason for respiratory diseases.
3. Overhanging branches or furniture:
There are some clearance rules that you need to follow for establishing a wood-burning fire pit because these overhanging branches or any fire-prone substances get caught in a fire and can burn down the house.
Apart from these, fire pit tipping, accidental fire catching, etc., can happen if necessary safety guards are not ensured. And it’s almost identical for every fire pit. But the incentives that come with wood-burning fire pits can not be gotten from gas fire pits. It provides excellent heat and coziness. The food cooking, Barbecue, Grilling, etc., are only available in full fledge in the wood-burning fire pit.
[Recommended Article: Are propane fire pits worth it?]
Tips to Follow for Safety While Using Wood Burning Fire Pits
Maintaining safety and precautions are mandatory for all types of fire-handling tasks. And here are some safety tips while using wood-burning fire pits.
- Make sure concrete block or river rock is not used in your DIY fire pit or any fire pit. It may explode and cause an accident.
- Before placing a fire pit, make an educated guess on the size, location of your fire pit. First, make sure there is no grass or weeds on the spot. Next, fill an excavated area at the bottom of the hole with about eight inches of earth and two inches of sand. By turning it down, you may compact and level the sand.
- Check the wind and sudden gusts; it is best always to use a smoke screen for a wood-burning fire pit.
- Make sure to place the fire pit by maintaining minimum safety distance clearance (21 feet) and check your city guidelines and clearance restriction from any structure wall or flammable substances
- Remember to burn only dry woods; never burn any lumber, trash, softwood, debris, etc.
- Put fire extinguishers, sand, water, etc., nearby so you can take care of any fire accidents.
- Clean the fire pit after every usage and cook carefully with the necessary cooking ware in the fire pit.
- Do not use a wood-burning fire pit under a gazebo or pergola and not indoors.
- Keep the children supervised because they get the most excited on a wood-burning fire pit.
[On a side note: We have shared a complete article on the Safest Types of fire pits here.]
Alternatives to Wood-Burning Fire Pits
The best alternative to wood burning fire pits are- Gas and Electric fire pits. Gas fire pits are typically more expensive than wood-burning fire pits, but they offer more control over the flame. They can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch, and the flame can be adjusted to the desired height. But it required some safety considerations like- ensuring proper ventilation, avoiding gas leaks etc.
Electric fire pits are the safest and most environmentally-friendly option of all of the three. They do not produce smoke or ash. They simply need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. However, they are typically less powerful than gas or wood-burning fire pits and can not offer the same level of heat. Additionally, they can be more expensive to purchase than wood-burning fire pits.
Hope this guide helps. Please let us know if you have any query in the comments section below.
