Light Your Fire

Stay toasty outdoors for a change. A fire pit is a great decoration for the backyard and can be made easily and inexpensively.

To begin, consult city and neighborhood regulations regarding fire pits; then, select an area away from bushes and trees.

Plant a stake in the center of your future pit and attach a string with the desired radius. A good radius is 1.5 to 2 feet. Circle the stake, pulling the string taut while marking where it reaches.

Clear the area and dig the pit about 9 to 12 inches into the ground. With Florida’s rain, it’s a good idea to dig an additional small, foot-deep hole in the center to further assist drainage.

Fill the small hole and the bottom 4 inches of the pit itself with pea gravel. Coat with about 3 inches of sand to prevent fires from moving into the ground. The sand should not reach the top of the pit to prevent it from washing out of the pit during rainstorms.

Outline with landscaping stones or pavers stacked evenly until the structure stands at least 2 feet high. Avoid stones that have been immersed in water; trapped water can turn to steam with heat, causing the stone to explode. Do not seal the stones with adhesives; they can easily melt and give off toxic fumes.

You are now ready to light a fire, tell some stories and make some s’mores.