# Fire Safety: What Not to Burn in Your Fire Pit

- Link: https://hearthsidepatio.com/fire-pits/fire-safety-not-burn-fire-pit/
- Published: 2015-03-06T19:19:31-05:00
- Author: hearthsideri

⌊What Not to Burn in Your Fire Pit⌉⌊What Not to Burn in Your Fire Pit⌉
 Outdoor 
fire pits are popular, particularly in summer when outdoor entertaining is at its
height. There is something special about gathering around an open fire with family
and friends. It offers an opportunity for conversation and connection that doesn’t
always come naturally. However, there are some things you should consider when creating
an outdoor fire. Besides needing to know your city or county ordinances regarding
outdoor fires, you should also be aware of what you should or should not be burning
in [RI, fire pits](https://hearthsidepatio.com/product-type/outdoor-living/fire-pits/).
Here are some guidelines to help you create a safe, enjoyable fire.

### General Safety Precautions

When building an open fire outdoors, you need to be sure that you are taking proper
safety measures. Be sure that your fire is placed away from long grasses, tree branches,
or any other material that might easily catch fire if a stray spark were to land
on it. You should also be sure that the size of the wood you are using is appropriate
for the size of the pit. You shouldn’t have any logs or pieces of wood hanging over
the sides of any fire pit. For shallow fire pits, your logs may rise above the rim,
but should still be well contained. After you are finished with your fire, be sure
that it is properly extinguished. You never want to leave a fire burning, and even
if it seems as if it is out, you should be sure there are no remaining hot coals.

### What Not to Burn

While most kinds of natural woods are perfectly safe to burn, you shouldn’t assume
anything made of wood is safe. Here are some things you should never burn in your
outdoor fire pit:
 • Green wood (this causes excessive smoke) • Pressure treated
wood • Railroad ties • Stained or painted wood • Paper products (chemicals may be
released, and hot ash from paper can easily drift from the fire pit and be a potential
fire danger) • Anything plastic • Food waste • Anything that emits black smoke or
a foul odor when burned A good rule of thumb is to only burn natural logs or instant
logs made out of compressed sawdust made specifically for fire pits.