Enjoy your backyard fire pit the right way with our expert guide and safety tips. From temperature management to water instructions, here’s how to put out your fire pit quickly and safely.
There aren’t many things better than sitting around a fire pit in the evening. Whether you’re sat around a pit in your backyard or on the road camping, relaxing next to flaming embers on a cool evening is one of life’s purest joys.
Good flame management is important not just for your own safety, but also for the environment. With recent forest fire numbers in the USA as high as they’ve ever been (source), we all have a responsibility to manage our pit safely and efficiently.
Gas fire pits are straightforward thanks to their propane control, but wood-burning pits need to be approached more carefully. As with any fire handling, you’ll need to follow proper steps and precautions. Our guide is here to help.
With a combination of a shovel and a garden hose, we’ll aim to submerge the pit ash to cool and extinguish any remaining embers. Let’s get into the guide.
How to Put Out a Wood-Burning Fire Pit
Materials needed
- Big stick/shovel
- Garden hose
- A large bucket of water
- Fire extinguisher
- Heat-resistant mitts
Step-by-step instructions
- Burn the wood to ashes
- Cool them by adding water
- Mix the ashes and cool them down
- Keep cooling the wood.
- When you are done, throw away ashes in a metal bucket.
Burn the wood to ash
When some people feel like a fire pit is no longer necessary, all they think of is putting it out instantly forgetting that there are factors to consider before taking action. You need to be patient enough to let the wood burn to ash. That makes the whole process easy for you. The wood cannot be burnt entirely in some cases, and you will need to use a stick to put the fire out. You have to be careful as you should not miss wood remaining hitting up hot ash. It does not mean that when the ash is not glowing, it is out of the heat. It can still be sweltering.
Prepare water to put out the fire pit
As soon as all the wood is burnt, it does not mean that it is now safe to pour water inside the pit. This might result in cracking the pit. You cannot just pour the water inside without testing. You pour a bit of water, as soon as you notice that it is safe to do so, you may start pouring more water. If you start hearing some sizzling sounds, do not panic. That is how it is supposed to be when some ashes still have a fire. In this case, you do not have to pour water only on red ashes. What gives you the assurance that there is no more fire is that no more sound will be produced.
Use a long-handled shovel to stir
You need to mix the embers and the bits I wood that is not wholly burnt using a stick or shovel. This is done so as to make sure that all the stuff inside the pit has been completely burnt.
Get rid of your ashes
It is not a good idea to leave your ashes in the fire pit although they no longer have a fire. Leaving the ashes inside will cause rust inside your fire pit. Make sure that you empty them.
Check your surroundings
Yes, you are sure that all the ashes and bits of wood no longer have a fire, but you need to make sure that there is no fire nearby the pit. There might be dry grass or a bush around the area where your fire pit is located. Make sure that there is nothing close to a fire in that area. If you are not sure, you can still check the temperature inside and outside the fire pit. No more heat should be generated nearby.
Safety Tips
You have to consult your insurance company before using our fire pit. Using and making your fire pit open for use may be a necessary condition for your policy. Just like one has to take the seat close to the window in a bus should have the ability to save others in case of emergency, you need to have the knowledge on how to put out the fire from your own fire pit.
Move any furniture of fire pit chairs in order to give yourself two or three meters of clearance. This will not only give you room in which to maneuver, but also will prevent any stray sparks or ash from creating a fire hazard.
Whenever you are using your fire pit, put on your safety gloves to not burn your fingers in any way.
You will need to make a protective screen in the backyard so that no sparks will escape the fire pit and cause some fire outside the pit.
It is imperative to check on the weather of the day before you make your fire. A windy day can cause a very dangerous scene. Ashes and embers can be blown out of the fire pit to the ground.
You need to be aware of certain restrictions on making fire outdoors that have been put into effect at that particular time.
You need a giant hose that is reliable and efficient as it can continuously supply you with water. A fire extinguisher is also a necessity when it comes to fire. Make sure that you can operate it. A Class A fire extinguisher is the one I recommend. It is quite essential to pay attention to instructions and regularly service your fire extinguisher.
Do not leave children alone close to the fire pit. Even if you are so sure that there are only ashes remaining, do not leave kids alone.
The surrounding area should be full of dry grass and leaves since they can fuel up a wildfire.
The Final Word
Having a fire pit whilst you are enjoying yourself with friends can be exciting and dangerous at the same time. You do not have to overlook the idea of having enough knowledge about putting off fire in a fire pit. Random action can hurt a person if not everyone around. Make sure that the wood is burnt to ashes. Patience is a requirement. As soon as it is safe to pour water, you may. Checking your surroundings is as important as checking the pit, that no chances of having a fire are noticed. Checking temperature is a must. You can use sand to put out a fire or a Snuffer, but it does not entirely cool the ashes.
