Wood Burning Fire Pits
Wood burning fire pits shall maintain 15-feet clearance to combustibles at all times, including but not limited to your home, fences, covered patios, overhanging tree branches, outbuildings, etc. Maximum burn bowl (the interior part of the fire pit where wood is placed) diameter of 36 inches and height of 24 inches. Non-wood burning fire pit (a "fire feature" that has a gas burner, lava rocks or glass, the outdoor equivalent of the indoor non-wood burning fireplace with gas logs) per the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Section 307.4.3
307.4.3 Portable Outdoor Fireplaces. Portable outdoor fireplaces shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and shall not be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material. Only commercially available portable fire pits with a screen that must be in place during burning or commercially available Chimeras shall be allowed and shall not be used within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material or within 15 feet of a property line or public right of ways. The use of barrels shall not be allowed. Burning of any kind on the ground shall not be allowed. Burning of leaves or large tree limbs shall not be allowed. Only natural wood can be used, no sawn lumber (construction material), trash, or other household debris can be burned. If at any time the Fire Officer on scene feels the fire constitutes a life safety hazard they have the authority to extinguish the fire.
Section 307.4.4 and 5; add section 307.4.4 and 307.4.5 to read as follows:
307.4.4 Permanent Outdoor Fire pit. Permanently installed outdoor fire pits shall not be used for recreational fire purposes.
Exception: 1. Permanently installed outdoor fireplaces constructed in accordance with the International Building Code, this code, and approved by the fire code official.
Safety Tips for Using Your Fire Pit
- Consider windy conditions. If you live in a windy area, place your pit in an area that is protected from the wind
- Clear the area and clean the pit
- Use the correct fuel
- Start small
- Use a spark screen
- Keep an eye on the children
- Keep seating at a safe distance
- Use appropriate accessories
- Keep a fire extinguisher nearby
- Never leave your fire unattended
- Extinguish your fire properly
- Keep your fire pit clean In the absence of the manufacturer's installation instructions for alternate fuel sources, the regulations will be the same as wood-burning fire pits.