Nothing says summer like a campfire – and if you’re not camping, an outdoor fireplace or fire pit in your own backyard works just as well. Sitting around the fireplace or fire pit as the sun starts to set, making s’mores, and talking about the day with your family is pretty much a perfect evening. When you do light up that outdoor fire, it is important that you keep safety at the front of your mind. Read on for seven important fire safety tips to know and practice this summer and all year long when you are using your outdoor fireplace or fire pit.

Build With The Right Materials

If you’re building a true outdoor fireplace, please trust this work to a landscaping or masonry professional. Most hardscaping projects should not be DIY’d. If you’re just constructing a fire ring, be careful of the materials that you choose to use. Choose materials that have a high heat rating. If you choose an unsafe material accidentally, it could crack, splinter, shatter, or explode when it heats up in or around the fire.

Let The New Fireplace Cure

When you first finish your new fireplace or fire pit, give it at least 30 days to cure before you use it. Once you do use it, keep the fires very small for at least 15 more days. After that time, you should be safe to build a standard size fire.

Keep Fire Height Reasonable

Once you’ve let the fireplace cure, keep the fire height reasonable. You don’t need a roaring, towering bonfire, and it is very easy for such a fire to get out of control and catch nearby plants or overhanging tree branches on fire.

Bank The Fire To Put It Out

It is tempting to put out the fire with water because it seems faster and more efficient. If you can, take the time to bank the fire instead by separating the logs and burying them in ashes so that they are slowly extinguished and the heat gradually dies down. Dousing the fire with water can cause a rapid temperature change that can be dangerous. You should keep water nearby for an emergency, however.

Clean The Fireplace After Each Use

After you use the fire pit or fireplace and it cools off, take time to clean it out. The reality is that this will likely be the next day, but generally you need to make sure that you’re cleaning out the fire pit or fireplace regularly. This goes for any type of fireplace or fire pit, gas and log burning.

Check For Gas Leaks

If the fireplace or fire pit is a gas-run version, make time to check out the various tubes, pipes, or connectors for leaks. If you catch a leak early, you could save yourself a lot of trouble and fuel. For gas fireplaces, you should also have the burners and igniters serviced every two years at most, but yearly is better.

Use The Cover

Finally, your outdoor fireplace or fire pit probably came with a cover, and if it didn’t the manufacturer probably sells one. These are important. Use them! When you’re not using the fireplace, cover it to keep excess moisture out so it doesn’t cause damage.

Contact Sposato Landscape

For over 25 years, Sposato Landscaping has been beautifying and nurturing countless landscapes throughout the Delmarva area. We offer many services, including landscape design, installations, residential maintenance, hardscape, commercial maintenance, and turf nutrient management.

Visit our website to see what we can do for you, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, and YouTube.