How To Keep A Fire Pit Going (2023)

Having a fire pit is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and create a cozy atmosphere.

However, it can be incredibly frustrating when your fire pit doesn't stay lit for more than a few minutes. This can happen for various reasons, such as not having enough fuel or air circulation.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure that your fire pit stays burning all night long.

Use A Dry Fire Pit

It is important to remember to dry your fire pit before using it. Moisture can easily accumulate inside of fire pits, especially if they are left outdoors.

This moisture can make it difficult to light and keep a fire going, as the wood will become saturated with moisture.

To prevent this from happening, it is best to take a few minutes to wipe out the inside of your fire pit with a paper towel or cloth before placing any firewood inside.

Doing so will help ensure that your fire burns more efficiently and sustainably, with minimal smoke.

Learning how to properly

Use Dry Firewood

Not only should you have a dry fire pit, but It is imperative to consider the dampness content in regard to firewood. Even though it might appear dry externally, the wood may still retain copious amounts of water inside.

Every kind of wood has the capacity to absorb moisture. Generally speaking, this isn't an issue, assuming that the moisture content is sufficiently low.

On the flip side, if your firewood holds too much moisture, you could have trouble preserving it alight and burning in your fire pit.

For this reason, it’s highly recommended that you only use dry firewood with a moisture content of 20% or less in your fire pit.

This will ensure that your fire burns efficiently and produces more heat for longer periods of time.

To make sure that you are using dry firewood, you can purchase kiln-dried logs from most hardware stores or online retailers.

These logs have been dried to reduce their moisture content and are ideal for use in your outdoor fireplace or campfire.

Size Matters

The size of wood pieces influences how long your fire pit stays alight. While it may be tricky to light the larger pieces, they will burn longer and create more heat than smaller pieces.

To make lighting easier, you can put small pieces of firewood below the larger ones.

When using larger pieces of firewood, it's important to remember that they can take up more space in the fire pit. Make sure you have enough room for them before adding them to the flames.

Location

When setting up a fire pit, the position where it is placed is as crucial as the type of fuel. If your fire pit is located out in the open, wind gusts can easily put it out.

Therefore, it should be situated close to a windbreak such as a fence or retaining wall in order to protect the flame from being extinguished due to heavy wind.

The fire pit must be set 10 feet (ca. 3 m) away from any combustible or inflammable material and structure, including your home.

This is so that no unintentional fires occur and leftover embers do not come into contact with these surfaces.

By following this rule, as well as placing your fire pit near a windbreak, you can make sure that your flame won't go out and there won't be any accidental fires.

Ventilation

Proper ventilation is essential for keeping a fire going. Without it, the fire will quickly die out due to lack of oxygen.

To ensure that your fire has enough air to breathe, you should leave a few gaps between each log when stacking them.

This allows air to flow freely through the logs and into the fire, providing it with the oxygen it needs to keep burning.

Ventilation also helps control the intensity of the flames and prevents smoke from building up in an area.

When there is not enough ventilation, smoke can become trapped and cause health issues such as eye irritation or respiratory problems for the people around the fire pit.

Therefore, proper ventilation is key for both safety and efficiency when starting a fire.

Ventilation is important, so if you are worried about wind blowing smoke in your direction, don't move your fire pit toward your house.

Instead, buy a smokeless fire pit. How do smokeless fire pits work? Air is heated as it flow through double walls and out vents at the top of the fire. This creates a secondary combustion that burns off smoke.

And yes, smokeless fire pits get hot.

Kindling And Timber

Tinder and kindling are essential components of any successful fire. They provide the initial fuel that helps to get the fire going and keep it burning.

Timber is usually made up of dried materials such as sticks and twigs. These materials make starting a fire fairly easy.

Kindling is slightly larger than tinder and can include tree barks, paper, dry leaves, or other combustible materials.

Adding kindling to a fire will help create stronger flames that can last for hours or even all night.

When building a campfire or fireplace fire, it’s important to have both tinder and kindling on hand.

Start by adding some tinder to the center of your pile of wood. Light this with a match or lighter, and then add some kindling around the edges of the pile.

This will help create an even flame that will be strong enough to keep your fire going for hours.

Once you have your tinder and kindling in place, you can add larger pieces of wood as needed to maintain your desired level of heat.

With proper use of tinder and kindling, you’ll be able to enjoy a warm fire for a longer period.

Be Weather Aware

It is important to be aware of the weather when attempting to create a fire.

Mother Nature can have a huge impact on your ability to make and maintain a fire, so it is essential to pay attention to the forecast before you start.

Rainy days are not ideal for fire-burning activities, as the rain will quickly put out any flames you manage to create.

High humidity can also make it difficult to light and keep a fire going, as the moisture in the air will prevent it from burning properly.

Learning how to put out a fire pit will extend its life. You don't want rain to mix with the embers to create a sludge. This will harm burn chamber over time.

Conclusion

Fire pits can make even the worst days a little bit better. Buy a heavy-duty fire pit that will last for years, and then enjoy the warmth of your fire as you take in the night air.

Keeping a fire pit going is not as difficult as it may seem. With proper ventilation, tinder and kindling, and dry wood, you’ll be able to enjoy a warm fire for hours.