Reduce the Eco-Effects of Your Fire Pit: 3 Tips to Enjoy A Fire Sustainably and Safely

Appreciating nature on a camping trip or from the comfort of your backyard on a cool summer’s night is relaxing and fun. An outdoor fire pit can provide you and your family with tons of fun activities, from roasting marshmallows to telling spooky stories around the circle. While there are plenty of pros when it comes to fire pits, there are some negative environmental impacts from them too.

Recreational fires emit pollutants and smoke into the atmosphere that cause harm to the surrounding habitat. Like any other greenhouse gasses, these pollutants are detrimental to nature. Fires are also dangerous to many ecosystems if they turn into wildfires, so it’s important to know how to extinguish a fire properly to prevent harm to the environment. 

Staying aware of your carbon footprint and cutting back on the amount of air pollution that your fire emits will help save our planet one step at a time. Thinking green and acting safely when you light up your next outdoor fire will reduce your impact on the environment and our global community. 

• Turn to Eco-fuels

Whether you enjoy the scent of it or not, wood smoke is bad for the environment and your health. Burning wood creates smoke that releases pollutants like greenhouse gasses which can harm your respiratory system. Not to mention, burning wood creates toxins that can affect trees, plants, and animals.

Instead, try using eco fuels like coffee ground logs or recycled wood logs, which are good, green alternatives to burning regular wood logs. These sustainable logs are made of recycled materials, and they emit less smoke and air pollutants. Just by switching to a greener fuel, you can help the environment.

• Burn Seasoned Wood 

When it comes to the type of wood to burn, aim to use seasoned logs versus unseasoned logs. Unseasoned wood has more moisture, produces more smoke, and is worse for the environment. It also gives off more pollutants when burned and should be avoided as much as possible.

On the other hand, seasoned wood is drier and provides a cleaner and hotter burn with less smoke to pollute the environment. It’s also lighter in weight than unseasoned wood, and splits easier, making it a great choice all around. If you can’t burn an eco fuel, seasoned wood is the best option for reducing your impact on the environment. 

• Use Less Fuel

While you might want to use lighter fluid to help your fire to burn quickly, a slow burn is better for the environment. Stay away from using flammable fuels on your fire like lighter fluid, kerosene, or gasoline. These fuels may cause your fire to get out of control and spread to the surrounding environment. Additionally, sparks could fly when your fire flares up suddenly and be the cause of a devastating wildfire. 

Always remember to spend enough time ensuring that you’ve sufficiently put your fire out as well. Any remaining sparks or embers could always get fanned into flames when you’re not looking, so don’t forget to check your fire after you put it out. 

Respecting the environment and enjoying a fire pit has never been easier. You can enjoy a fire outdoors and still be environmentally conscious. Check out the following image courtesy of The Zebra (please see - thezebra.com) for more tips on reducing the impact of your outdoor fire or fire pit>>>