Portable fire pits on grass may damage your lawn through scorch marks and heat stress.
This is a valid concern, considering fire pits give off temperatures from 1,200 degrees.
Heat at that level, in such proximity, can damage your lawn without proper precautions.
I’ve personally felt the regret of doing this on the fly and hoping for the best.
Depending on the damage, it may take some manual labor (and expense) on your part and weeks, or even longer, for your grass to recover.
Using fire pits on grass is a viable backyard option with proper precautions.
Just a quick point for this article; we are specifically referring to portable backyard fire pits, not fixed stone masonry fire pits, and their use.
There are a wide variety of do-it-yourself (DIY) and store-bought options for protecting heat-vulnerable surfaces on your property, such as grass, when using a fire pit. Pavers placed in a grid configuration, can provide an inexpensive, but robust, temporary barrier between your fire pit and your grass.
If you are like me, you spend a lot of time trying to keep your yard looking good against all odds.
The neighbor’s dog, despite the constraints of an invisible fence, seems to find a way to pee on my grass, out-of-control weeds, spots where grass won’t grow, my kids and their friends tearing up the grass, lack of rain, etc…etc…ad nauseum.
The truth is, I can’t get my grass to look like I want it to as it is, so crossing my fingers and hoping the old fire pit won’t leave a nice scorch mark is definitely a no go.
Heat stress can really do a number on your lawn, requiring months to repair.
Table of contents
Fire Pits and Grass Heat Stress
Every lawn is exposed in some form or another to a variety of conditions that are not good for it.
Heat stress weakens lawns, making them vulnerable to cosmetic problems and long-term health issues.
Unprotected fire pits can damage grass with heat and drought. Take precautions to prevent lawn damage.
Ghost prints (grass not recovering quickly from pressure) and discoloration are common end results of excessive heat stress.
Properly shield and hydrate your lawn when using fire pits on grass for quick recovery after use.
Protection When Using Fire Pits on Grass
Choose locations with adequate distance from structures and trees when setting up fire pits on grass.
20 to 25 feet (7.62 m) for structures such as your home, shed, stacked wood, etc. 10 to 15 feet (4.57 m) from tree branches if you choose a spot near trees.
Also, make sure the spot you pick for your fire pit is level.
A level fire pit prevents dangerous tip-overs that could send embers flying or waste your lawn protection efforts.
Choose a level spot away from structures and trees before setting up, to avoid dangerous ember showers.
Position your level fire pit spot away from structures and trees before setting up.
Position your barrier, then place your level fire pit on it with all legs touching the surface.
Safety Pro Tip: Simple 20-word version:
When placing fire pits on grass, use proper barriers for lawn protection. I try for at least a 6-12 inch-deep perimeter around the legs/supports. Without this space, the fire pit could fall off the barrier and tip over if inadvertently bumped by anyone.
Before lighting your fire pit, mist the grass around its perimeter to reduce heat stress.
Keep a hose or a bucket of water nearby for additional applications as the water evaporates.
Don’t go nuts with the water by applying too much. You don’t want to create a slipping hazard on the grass.
After everything is completely cool, transfer the fire pit ashes to a metal container for disposal.
Once cool, remove the fire pit from your grass protector, then remove the barrier from your lawn.
This is particularly important when using pavers.
The compression, lack of light, airflow, etc. will kill the grass if the pavers are left down too long.
Remove them as soon as you are able.
Safety Tips When Using Fire Pits On Grass
Using these safety tips whenever using a fire pit will protect your lawn and ensure everyone’s safety.
You’ll see a tailored variation of these in all of my safety-related articles but the message is always the same:
- Never leave any fire pit unattended
- Maintain very close supervision of children and pets in the vicinity of fire pits; this is particularly important in grassed areas as children are often playing on this surface and will most likely be doing so nearby
- Moderate your personal alcohol consumption when operating a fire pit; everyone’s safety depends on you being alert and sober enough to take proper action if and when the situation dictates
- Have a water hose, water bucket, or fire extinguisher within arm’s reach of your location near a fire pit
- For wood-burning fire pits: do not use lighter fluid, gasoline, or any other petroleum-based fuel to start a fire in a fire pit; consider using a fire pit screen to contain sparks
- Utilize log grabbers to add and reposition logs in fire pits
- When done using the fire pit, extinguish the fire with water and stir contents until ash is saturated; sand is an option as well for putting out the fire
Check out my article, Fire Pit Safety 101: A Primer, for more on the topic of backyard safety.
Wrap-up: Fire Pits on Grass
Using a portable fire pit on grass is fine with proper precautions to prevent costly lawn damage.
At the basic level, the steps are simple, and the tools are inexpensive and easily accessible.
Choose safety over convenience when selecting and setting up your fire pit spot.
Finally, if you are interested in some solid gas fire pit options that are a little more lawn-friendly than a typical wood-burning fire pit, check out my article Best Portable Propane Fire Pit for Patios, RVs, and More for my top pick and 2 other strong candidates.
Thanks for reading and take care!
John
FAQs: Fire Pits on Grass
First, due to the potential for injury when using a fire pit, it’s always best to consult the owner’s manual of the fire pit in question with regard to operation and maintenance.
The main purpose of adding sand to the bottom of a fire pit is to aid in heat distribution, but it also provides a shield of sorts between the fire and the metal bowl helping to slow deterioration due to regular high heat exposure. Â
This can also be accomplished with the use of commercially available fire brick or lava rocks.
An additional benefit in my opinion of adding sand (or rock) is the stability provided to the fire pit by the extra weight.
Sand or rock evenly distributed at the bottom of the fire pit can aid in minimizing tip-overs, particularly on soft non-masonry surfaces like grass.
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The best way to protect your grass (and your guests) from fire pit sparks, debris, etc. is to make sure they don’t come into contact with each other.
Use a spark screen to protect your grass from fire pit debris—either build one at home with inexpensive materials or buy one commercially.
A spark screen is essentially a framed wire mesh dome barrier that is placed on top of the fire pit opening. Â
Most have handles for easy placement and removal from the fire pit.
The spark screen typically rests on top of the fire pit, not attached in any way.
It’s no secret your grass takes a beating during fire pit use; from the heat generated, the compression of the grass from the weight of your protective barrier, the higher-than-usual foot traffic, and the damage done by the seating used. Â
In most cases, the following will help your grass recover after a fire pit party:
– Cordon the area off if you have to, but no foot traffic until the lawn area is back to normal
– Use a leaf blower to fluff up the matted spots in the lawn and get air flowing through the blades of grass; a gentle raking can accomplish this as well
– Cultivate and apply seed to areas that sustained damage due to foot traffic or other factors
– Keep the area adequately hydrated to speed recovery
Interested in more fire pit safety accessory ideas? Check out my big list of 25 “Gotta-Have” Fire Pit Accessories for Your Next Backyard Burn.
