CityView Magazine

36 | October 2019 or construct those. ere are a lot of features you can add to a fireplace, such as a firebox to store your wood." News accounts have reported on exploding fire pits nationwide, causing potential injury to those bellied up to them. HGTV recommends surrounding the fire pit with non-combustible materials, such as crushed stone, brick, or sand. In wood-stoked fire pits, safety begins with fuel. Never use lighter fluid or gas to start a fire in a fire pit. And if your fire pit has a screen, HGTV says to use it whenever you're burning. "Position chairs so folks can rise and move about seats without risking tumbling into the fire," Julie Martens Forney writes in an HGTV online story on fire pit safety. "Built-in seating prevents seats from being drawn too close to the flames; so do heavier chairs. Keep an eye on children whenever a fire pit is being used. Don't allow them to get too close to the blaze." Markley adds this: "When you're talking about exploding fireplaces or fire pits or even outdoor kitchens, typically, there's a fire leak that gets ignited. With any fire pit or fireplace, you want to make sure you have proper ventilation. When you're having a fire pit built – if it's gas – make sure it does have enough vents in the proper locations to avoid an explosion." When it comes to the rules and regulations involving these structures, he said, make sure the fire pit or fireplace is set up at least 20 feet from the house. "In general, 20 feet from the house is sort of the rule of thumb I use for my design work," Markley said. "If designing a fireplace or fire pit, keep it 20 feet away from any structure. Any fireplace or fire pit fire regulation says to keep a fire pit or open flame at least 20 feet from a house." Fire pits can be custom built in a variety of shapes, heights and sizes from various materials including concrete, steel, aluminum, stone, tile and copper.

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