protection zone around an outdoor cook fire pit?

Jayne

Jayne

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I want to make something like this to cook on in the yard:

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and got approval from the wife on where to put it. I used some scrap around the barn to mock up the size:

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Here's the thing though. You can see the area around it is moss/grass like stuff with a bunch of pine needles that fall all the time.

Most the images I see either have nothing around them like the one above, or some huge ass stone patio, never anything in-between.

What's my fire risk with just using it sitting on the 'lawn' like that?

If it's too great of a risk, what's a reasonable zone around the pit to protect and how? Put up some border and put a 3' wide gravel area around it? I really don't want to go with a 15' x 15' paver area or anything crazy, it's outside my ability to do and I don't want to just pay someone to build it like we're living in the city. Conversely, I don't want to burn the house down while trying to cook.
 
I’d put some river rock or brick chips or something like that around/under it. Keep it from getting as muddy when it rains, and then you can just blow everything off with your blower
 
In for the discussion. I have a big berm covered in pine straw close by
 
Jayne said:
How far out to run the river rock?
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I would think big enough for a chair to sit by. This is one of those things you’re gonna have to keep an eye on/maintenance before use to make sure
 
The pit I built years back for my Dad started out as a 10’ x 10’ “sandbox” type site. Took and dug down about 1’ and filled it with playground sand tamping it every 3”. After it was pretty much compacted and level we went back and set the landscaping stones we bought at Lowe’s. It worked well and he’d just blow of the lawn trash and take a rake and from the sand surface every so often. The big reason for sand was “just in case” he needed to extinguish it ASAFP shoveling the sand (there was always a shovel handy when using it) was the first line of action.
 
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Hmm... maybe a pizza oven type thing would be better, the fire would be contained. Might have to re-think this project.
 
Jayne said:
Hmm... maybe a pizza oven type thing would be better, the fire would be contained. Might have to re-think this project.
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I'm having fireplaces quoted so I can contain sparks with a chimney and screen on top. Thus far I am horrified at the prices.
 
Its gonna depend when you try to use it as well what the risk is. Like recently with all the rain probably fairly low but in middle of a summer drought things change a lot. Also what your burning in it has a effect. Certain woods are more likely to have flying sparks and paper can be real bad.
 
fieldgrade said:
I'm having fireplaces quoted so I can contain sparks with a chimney and screen on top. Thus far I am horrified at the prices.
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Rock and brick work for the yard has to be paid for by selling kidneys
 
I have centipede grass that goes dormant in winter which is followed by lots if pinestraw mulch. My back yard in winter is a brush fire just waiting to happen.
 
1) do you plan to leave the fire unattended?
2) is it within reach of a hose/water
3) will you be trying to use it in bad wind?

1) if you don’t leave it unattended, you are fine with adding a little buffer of sand or rocks spread around the outside of the bricks like @Burt Gummer said. You’re probably not building a raging inferno to cook on. Put out the fire when you are done with it, rather than leaving it to burn itself out unattended overnight.

2) if you have water, that will help if something gets crazy. Even a couple 5gal buckets of water. And if it’s a little windy/dry and you’re seeing flying embers trying to catch stuff on fire outside your sand/rock area, wet down the stuff that could catch. This is why #1 above is important. The water will be there to put out the fire when you are done with it

3) if you’re planning to use it in bad wind, there is probably no containment area big enough. The wind is going to carry those embers. But you probably wouldn’t want to hang out and/or cook outdoors in that weather. :). So if you have a fire and the wind gets bad, put out the fire.

What you have described with the brick edging and then a border of sand or rock outside of that is more than most camps/campgrounds have in place at campsites, and those often have people who don’t care or don’t have common sense using them, and it works out ok. So with you *wanting* to be safe and actually trying, I don’t think you’ll have an issue.
 
After some research, I think I'm going to switch gears and make a cob oven. My intent is to bake for the most part (bread, pizza, etc) and the cob is way more efficient for that and the fire risk is significantly smaller.

Reading up on it now, but I suspect I'll end up with a poorly made version of this, on a lower base made of cinder block:

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