How Far Should A Fire Pit Be From A House?

Published on November 18th, 2022

Setting up a fire pit in your backyard is a fun way to gather family and friends at your home.

If you're planning on setting up a fire pit in your backyard, make sure to keep your nearest and dearest structures safe. You will need to check with your homeowners association, local fire department, and other local authorities to see what types of pits are allowed in your area, fire pit size laws, and if there are any permits required for using an outdoor fire pit.

Keeping Your Outdoor Space Safe from Fire While Using a Fire Pit

A good rule of thumb: if the flames are close enough for you to feel the heat on your face when standing near them, then they're probably too close for comfort. You don't want any part of the home or other structure within 15 feet of a fire pit—and certainly not any closer than five feet from it.

You should also be aware of where water pipes are located before installing a fire pit so that they don't accidentally get damaged during construction (or later use). Keep your fire pit away from the house and any other permanent structure on your property, including a shed or garage that might contain flammable materials.

Additionally, you will want to keep an eye on the wind direction whenever you have an open fire outdoors to reduce the risk of fire related injuries and enhance overall fire pit safety for all involved.

Know the differences between different types of fires, such as a propane fire pit, a portable fire pit, a natural gas fire pit, or a wood burning fire pit, and how to extinguish each type of fire.

Keep Your Fire Pit At Least 10-Feet Away From the House

You should keep your fire pit 10 feet away from your home and any other structures and trees with low-hanging branches to maintain a safe distance.

Fire pits should be positioned in an area where there are no leaves or other combustible materials around. This way, if there is a fire, it will only burn what was intended to burn.

To minimize the risk of sparks or smoke blowing into the main structure, it's best to keep your fire pit at least 20 feet away from other structures. This will help prevent any damage due to flying embers or smoke that could be blown by the wind into other areas. If you have limited space in your backyard, you should consider fire safety and pick an ideal position within the backyard to install your pit.

The distance you have your fire pit from other structures should always be greater than the distance between it and any fuel source, flammable items, or combustible items, like trees, brush, and even your neighbor's home.

You also want to take into consideration local laws, property line issues, and other local ordinances as to where wood burning fire pits or other fire pit areas can be located in your yard.

If your fire is in danger of becoming too large or dangerous, it is important to stop adding wood to the fire pit and remove any flammable materials from the fire pit area.

To extinguish a fire that is out of control, you can pour water over the fire pit to quelch the flames and bury embers under sand to reduce the risk of the fire lighting again.

Make sure that any excess water does not remain on the pit after you have poured it over; the temperature needs to be below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Never use a fire extinguisher on a fire pit because they are designed for other types of fires and could cause damage if misused.

If you're still thinking about adding a fire pit to your backyard, make sure that you have all of the information your need from local officials, have cleared an area around the fire pit, have the materials needed for a proper fire pit project, and are familiar with fire safety measures to keep you and your guests safe.