Fire Pit Safety

Thinking of picking yourself up one of our fantastic fire pits? Great Choice! However before you go any further, it’s crucial that you familiarise yourself with the potential hazards that they may pose. Fire pits can be a cosy and entertaining focal point to your garden, but they can become a danger if not treated appropriately.

Choosing & Preparing the location of your Fire Pit:

When deciding on the location of your fire pit, there are a couple of straight-up “No Go’s” that you must be aware of.

• Don’t even dream about placing your new furnace anywhere near grass or a wooden decking! This is like picking a fight with Mike Tyson, it’s going to end in disaster.
• Try not to position your fire pit too close to your neighbours garden. This is not just common courtesy –  it’s also important for safety reasons; you might not be aware of flammable materials on the other side of that wall.
• Lastly, keep away from hanging branches and covered areas such as low clearance gazebos for obvious reasons.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘Fail to Prepare is preparing to fail” and this couldn’t be any more true when it comes to fire pits. Before lighting the bad boy up for the first time, it’s crucial to ensure that the area surrounding the fit pit is clean and clear. A good way of telling if the location is suitable, is that there should be nothing within at least 5ft of the fire pit that has the possibility of catching fire. Things like leaves, wood, gas bottles, alcohol should be kept well away from the designated area. A stray spark is all it takes, so be careful.

The last step that we would recommend for that extra bit of security would be to place a fire mat underneath your new Fire Pit. These are used to catch any sparks or hot drippings that may fall from the flames. Lucky for you, we stock fantastic fire mats right here at Sheds Direct Ireland (or you can add one on at the time of picking up your fire-pit!)

 

Fire Pit Safety: Operating your Fire Pit

Congratulations, the desired area for your fire pit should be nice and safe by now. You’re now ready to move on to the fun stuff, lighting up the gorgeous piece of kit. Here are a few things to consider to make sure things run as smoothly as possible.

 

Use dry-wood:

Don’t be that person who just chucks any old wood into your fire pit and causes everyone around it to cough up a lung. Here at Sheds Direct Ireland, we recommend that only kiln-dried wood is used in your fire pit. While other items can technically be used, they may create more debris or burn less effectively. Kiln-dried wood has less moisture in it, so it will spark up for you in a jiffy leaving more time for chilling and chatting. You can pick this up from any fuel supplier or large hardware store throughout the winter months.

 

 

Stay the hell away from Gasoline or Kerosene:

Don’t even think about using any sort of gasoline or kerosene to get your fire going! Fuels like these can cause your fire to get out of control very very quickly. Flames can spread like butter on hot toast if not started or treated properly so if you’re going to follow any advice from this blog, follow this one! You’ll be calling the local fire brigade to come around rather than your mates otherwise!

 

Starting the Fire:

There’s no need to start bashing rocks together to get your fire going, as there are plenty of fire starters available in almost every supermarket. In addition to this, you can make your life a whole lot easier by adding on one of our electric lighters when purchasing your fire pit. You don’t need to worry about the dangers of burning yourself with matches or your lighter blowing out in high winds as our electric lighter solves all those problems. Simply light a piece of paper, firestarter or something at the base of your firepit and allow the rest to take the flame.

Remember, your fire pit will need to be dry when you start it! Keep it out of the rain when not in use.

 

 

Cooking on the Fire Pit:

This is one of the most frequently asked questions that we get asked in terms of Fire Pit Safety. Technically they are a pit with flames inside it, so yes you can cook food but you should only do it if it’s safe to do so. These Fire Pits are not designed for cooking or BBQing as they do not come with a grill or food support. However if you consider yourself a BBQ connoisseur then maybe you can cook with the fire pits, but take all proper care when cooking.

 

Don’t leave your Fire Pit unattended:

Never EVER leave your Fire Pit unattended. This is basic Fire Pit safety. As discussed previously, flames can spread like crazy in a split second which means there must always be someone watching over them. It goes without saying that children or pets should not be left unaccompanied near the fire also.

 

In the case of emergency: 

Look, sometimes crazy things happen that are out of control. You may have Fire Pit safety down to a tee but an accident can happen that has nothing to do with you. To put everyone’s mind at ease, have a bucket of water at hand in case things get out of hand. For additional safely, a bucket of sand can also be very helpful in starving the fire of oxygen.

 

 

Putting out the Fire:

You’ve come this far without any dramas, it’s time to finish the job. First things first, let us get that fire quenched. Grab that bucket of water you have aside or a garden hose and gently sprinkle the fire until it comes to a stop. Don’t just dump the bucket of water over the fire as this could damage your fire pit in the long run.

Alternatively, you can cover the flame with dirt/sand etc. This is a preferred way for many people as the sand can be drained through and some of the remaining woods inside can still be burned the next time. However, it’s not very hygienic and can be an issue if you’re cooking on your fire pit.

Once the flames are out, grab yourself a shovel or a tongs and give the remaining ashes/embers a mix around to ensure nothing starts up again. When everything has cooled down, dispatched of the remains and bobs your uncle, you’re good to go!

Never walk away from a warm fire-pit that you have not correctly soused.

 

Obvious Fire Pit Safety pre-cautions that must be said: 

• Don’t put any parts of your body into the fire, you’ll get an awful burn.
• Keep loose clothing away from flames. They could catch on your fire as quick as a flash!
• Don’t throw any alcohol into the fire pit as this could cause an explosion. It’s also a waste, get it down ya for Jaysus sake!
• Keep your gorgeous fire pits out of the rain, you don’t want to return to a rusty mess when you want to use it next.
• Don’t light it up indoors for the love of god! Our Fire Pits are for outdoor use only! 

 

Any Questions:

If you’ve any questions, call us at 01 864 4247 or message us on Facebook and we might be able to help more in person.