What Is A Fire Pit?

Fire pits are permanent or portable containers for bonfires, barbecues, and outdoor heat. Different fire pit designs can incorporate different fuel sources, sizes, styles, and accessories. Some fire pits burn wood or natural gas, others are equipped to roast marshmallows or accompany you on a camping trip.

One of the most attractive fire pit designs is the chimenea. This squat, circular tub sits above the ground on three stout feet. Traditionally made out of ceramic, this outdoor stove was meant to cook food and provide heat by burning wood logs when indoor stores weren't available. Now, the chimenea's recognizable shape, with its rounded body and cylindrical, flaring stovepipe, appeals to many homeowners. You can find a chimenea made of cast iron or other metal, as well. You feed the fire with wood through a small space on the side of the bowl.

Another possible choice among the different fire pit designs is an in-ground, permanent space. These pits start as holes dug into the ground, and then are lined with small walls of stone that extend above the ground. The bricks or rocks insulate the fire from the soil and block the wind. This simple design allows you to build a basic campfire in the backyard, but also gives you a place to set a grill for a few hamburgers or steaks. Sunken fire pits can't be moved, and offer safety improvements over an open ground fire.

There are other fire pit designs for basic wood fire pits. They can be designed as portable, above ground units. Copper bowls, for instance, are glittering containers that sit on metal supports and provide a dish in which to build an open bonfire. Large round, square, or rectangular boxes can also hold a fire, and integrated spark screens cover the flames. These coverings let in fresh air but keep flames and sparks from escaping.

More complicated fire pit designs run off of gas instead of wood. These fire pits are usually permanent, as they need to be hooked to your home's natural gas lines. Designs that use propane are attached to a semi-portable tank and can be carefully relocated. Just like indoor gas fireplaces, a gas fire pit creates flames above concrete or ceramic logs. The unit may be shaped like a bowl or box, but it doesn't need spark screens. Use this design in neighborhoods where wood fires have been outlawed as a fire hazard, but you still want to sit around leaping, orange flames on a crisp, autumn evening.