A How to Guide on Fire Pit Safety

How To Guide on Fire Pit Safety

• 1. Read All Instructions After Purchase of a Fire Pit- To ensure the overall safety of the fire pit itself, it is essential that all directions, instructions, and warnings that come with the fire pit are read, understood, and followed. The first basic safety rule for a fire pit is to ensure that the pit is built efficiently and in the way it was intended to be.
• 2. Pick A Proper Location- After the purchase of a fire pit and its assembly, it is important to place the pit in a safe location where it is the least likely to stand in the way of your family's paths as well as cause any kind of fire situation. This location should be one that is far away from anything that could pose as a potential danger to yourself, your home, and your surroundings. It is crucial that a place be found that is away from all flammable items. These things include but are not limited to awnings, umbrellas, railings, house siding, and hanging tree branches. You must also be careful that the fire pit is far from any kind of shed or place of storage that may contain flammable liquids.
• 3. Keep a Fire Extinguisher- When your fire pit is set up, the directions and all literature on the pit have been read, and you are ready to light it, you must make sure that you have a fire extinguisher handy in case of an emergency. Make sure the fire extinguisher is working and up to date.
• 4. Dress Appropriately- If in the presence or close vicinity of a fire pit, keep any loose articles of clothing or things such as blankets as far away from the fire pit as possible, in an effort to ensure that they do not accidentally catch on fire.
• 5. Start Small- When you are ready to start the fire in your fire pit, start with a small fire and work your way up to a larger one. It is also important to not build the fire too high, as wood could spill over onto the ground and cause damage or injury. At no point should you use gasoline to enhance the fire, as it could pose a serious problem. It is recommended that seasoned hardwoods are used to burn in the fire pit. It is also wise to not use the pit during weather consisting of very strong winds, since sparks could fly out.
• 6. Watch The Children- If children are in the presence of a fire pit, it is of the utmost importance that they are under constant supervision. Establish a line a few feet away from the pit that the children are not to cross, and make sure that at least one adult sees that the children adhere to the rule.
• 7. Use Large Cooking Tools- If you intend to cook over you lit fire pit, please be sure that your cooking tools are very long and can reach over a flame.
• 8. Properly Extinguish Fire- When you are done using your fire pit, make sure you have a means of putting out the fire entirely. This may be done by using a fire extinguisher or by pouring an efficient amount of water over the fire, and should be poured over the fire until all the steam is gone as well. Finally, cover the pit with a lid. If you are using something electrical or heated by propane, make sure it is properly shut off and/or unplugged.