Winter has kept many people confined inside, and spring is the time for leaving those confines in search of fresh air and recreation. A favourite past-time of many is sitting around a fire pit and socializing with friends and family or just plain kicking back and relaxing in the evening around the soft glow of embers and the flickering flames of a nice fire.

If you have a decent sized back yard, it’s quite easy to obtain or build your very own fire pit. Home and Garden Centres often carry portable fire pits or the means to build a backyard pit. Rona Home and Garden Centre in Crowfoot carries three different types of portable fire pits. Two are metal structures that are completely encased, with doors for access, built-in floors to house the fire and metal mesh to ensure that pesky sparks are kept to a minimum. These two styles are actually considered outdoor fireplaces as they completely contain the fire. The one style actually has a built-in chimney. The other style of portable fire pit that Rona carries is one that is raised off the ground with a metal basin set in a stone table. Included is a rounded mesh cover that slides open and closed for access to your fire. This pit is convenient in that it is portable, sits a little higher and the fire is contained for added safety.

Home Outfitters carries an outdoor gas fire pit as well, but like the indoor gas fireplace, this pit is for aesthetic purposes and is not intended to burn anything other then gas. In addition to the popular ceramic chiminea (see photo) there are also fire pit kits available in many stores and of course it is also possible to build your own with some retaining blocks, and a few patio stones.

However, whether building your own or buying a fire pit, there are city bylaws that have to be observed in order to keep your neighborhood safe. According to the City of Calgary’s Community Standards Bylaw 5M2004, (sections 11-19) all fires must be held “In a non-combustible receptacle or built into the bare ground.” They must also be no less than two metres from the property line, buildings or fences, and should not be built beneath any trees or near any combustible materials. This is pretty much common sense, however if you don’t observe these rules then you risk a fine and may perhaps lose the right to have a fire pit at all.

There are also other rules to having a fire pit, such as keeping the blaze to under one metre; both in height and in width, and making sure that it is supervised at all times with the means to extinguish it always on hand. These of course are safety issues, but there is also the law that states that your fire must be fully extinguished by 1 a.m. For a full version of the city’s bylaws concerning fire pits and what you can and cannot burn within the city, you can visit the City of Calgary’s website. As long as you follow the bylaws and utilize a little common sense, having your very own fire pit can be very enjoyable for adults and children alike. Kids quite often get a kick out of the small packages (called Fantasy Fire in some places) that can be thrown into your fire to created beautiful green and blue hues in the flames. These small packs are available in the Scouts’ and Guides’ shops, as well as a few other stores, and are nearly as popular as roasting marshmallows! Now that the warmer weather is here; take advantage and spend some time socializing around your own backyard blaze. Warning: fire pits may attract your entire neighbourhood- use at your own risk!      NL