Fire pits are all the rage these days.
But the key to enjoying these trendy outdoor mood setters is to make sure your fire doesn’t rage outside the pit.
This is less of a concern for those fire pits built into your landscape by a contractor who has considered a stable permanent locatio
n a safe distance from your home and surrounded by noncombustibles such as metal or patio stones.
It’s those portable fire pits that cause concern in the world of fire safety, said Snohomish County Fire Marshal Michael W. McCrary.
“The portable ones, they are great. You can pick them up and put them anywhere,” McCrary said. “But with these, it’s important that you pay close attention to where you put them.”
When positioning a portable fire pit, McCrary said, make sure they are on solid ground and not going to tip over.
Keep things that you don’t want to catch on fire away from the pit.
Keep the portables far enough away from your house — check the wind conditions — and consider whether you want to place the pit on a wood deck, McCrary said.
Barbecues are similar to fire pits in that both produce flame. Most people use propane barbecues these days but handled properly, propane and wood barbecues are safe, McCary said.
“With propane, you may not be squirting lots of lighter fluid, but you do have to make sure your device is maintained,” McCary said.
He said a leaking propane barbecue does have a smell that can be detected, but if there’s a leak, you don’t want to wait until you smell it to address the problem. Have your propane barbie checked periodically before you start to grill.
There are certain safety rules that apply to fire-breathing pits as well as barbecues, McCrary said.
First, make sure little kids are not allowed to actively participate in lighting the fire. Kids are fascinated by flame but when they learn how to do it, they may be tempted to light a fire when mommy or daddy isn’t around.
Also, have a fire extinguisher available or have a working garden hose nearby. And if it is windy, purchase or use the lid or screen that comes with a grill or fire pit to help cut down on sparks.
Also shooting out flames are fireworks. Additional safety rules apply here, such as adults only handling fireworks. Don’t tamper with or alter fireworks or try to make them at home. Don’t relight a “dud” firework.
Also, when using fireworks, keep pets indoors.
And then there’s the old standby rule: fire and alcohol don’t mix.
McCrary said staying safe usually comes down to using common sense and paying attention to the rules.
For more information, call the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office at 425-388-3557 or go to http://tinyurl.com/3jrukxb.
Sparkler safety
Sparklers: one of the icons of July Fourth. But even innocent-looking sparklers can hurt and burn when not used correctly, according to the National Council on Fireworks Safety.
Here are the council’s tips for a burn-free holiday:
• Children under 12 should not use sparklers without close adult supervision.
• Remain standing while using sparklers.
• Don’t hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Don’t hold or light more than one sparkler at a time.
• Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination; wear closed-toe shoes.
• Don’t hand a lighted sparkler to another person.
• Stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers.
• Show children how to hold sparklers at arm’s length.
• Tell children not to run while holding sparklers.
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