Outdoor Living & Lifestyles - Need to build or get custom fire pit please

The laws here in NY have changed recently, we can't have open flame fire outdoors anymore due to flying sparks causing too many fires so all of my firewood is just lying there doing nothing. We would always use firewood on the weekend to cook. I was wondering if there is something I could possibly rig up which might work? I looked at fire or copper pits online, 3 main problems, if using for cooking purposes, whenever you need to add firewood you would have to remove the screen, the pot then the grill which the pot is resting on, too much hassle. Then there is the problem of the wire mesh screen not being tall enough to cover a high pot like a soup pot.

So I need to burn firewood for cooking purposes but can't have sparks escaping, what options are there or can I build something myself? Will appreciate any advice/leads.

all of ney york or just your' area ???

Mike, what are you using to cook with now? Maybe you can build a fire screen that encloses the entire area. You would have to make it something like a screened in porch so that the open flame is contained in a screened room of sorts.

Newt

I'm not sure if the law pertains to all of NY and doesn't matter to me in any way.

Right now, we are using a ring stove to cook. Having a screened porch for this is not a bad idea but is out of the question due to space reasons.

Actually Newt, it seems that what you suggest may be the only way out but instead of building a screen porch, maybe I need to rig up a movable screen "cage" to fit around the existing contraption? First thing though, I see fire pits come with screens, what are those screens made of and can they really prevents sparks from escaping?

Mike, the cage idea was what I meant, not to build a porch, but to simulate what a screened porch does. The word porch was a bad one on my part as cage is a better idea.

I don't know what a 'ring stove' is other then to think it's an electric type with electric ring burners.

I don't know what those fire screens are made of, but a google search might give you the answer. Maybe search with:
fire screen material

Newt

all of ney york or just your' area ???

That's a good question. I searched and could only find info on NY City needing a permit from the fire department for an open flame. I would suggest you contact your local fire department and ask them. Better safe...

Newt

I called the Fire Prevention Services here, twice, there's no permit for this. Will look into the screen issue, get back to you. here's a pic of it so you can see what I am dealing with

Picture087.jpg picture by mikehende - Photobucket (http://s493.photobucket.com/albums/rr298/mikehende/?action=view&current=Picture087.jpg)

Mike, do I see dried leaves next to that open fire?? :eek: Maybe you can build something like this?
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/diy_kits/article/0,2019,DIY_13787_2278019,00.html

More ideas.
http://www.backyardspaces.com/barbeque.html
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/ExtPubs/Plans/6258.pdf
http://www.gobrick.com/pdfs/barbeque_plan.pdf

Newt

Yes, those were dried leaves because the wind was swirling all over the place on the day that pic was taken so we had no control, all the more reason for the screen? Appreciate the links Newt but the pit is not at all a problem, the screen is the most important issue because the issue here is the flying sparks, I think we simply need to build either like an oversized bird cage like contraption made of steel mesh wire so work with our existing apparatus or build a pit like in your first link but place the mesh wire on the grill itself so the pot would be resting on the mesh wire, what do you think?

I think we simply need to build either like an oversized bird cage like contraption made of steel mesh wire so work with our existing apparatus or build a pit like in your first link but place the mesh wire on the grill itself so the pot would be resting on the mesh wire, what do you think?

I agree, but do make sure you have a 'fireproof' base where dried leaves can't invade on a windy day.

Newt

I don't know how that wire screen is going to hold up taking "direct" heat, I wonder what type of forum I should look for on the net to inquire about this?

Looking again at your first link, I am thinking it would be nice to build something like that but what the diagram does not mention is drainage and air flow? If that pit is cemented on the floor and all around then where would the water go when rain falls or would you have to keep it covered? Also, how would you add firewood if there is no doorway?

Called up a guy who makes the screens and he said yes the wire used to make the screens should withstand the direct fire.

Looking again at your first link, I am thinking it would be nice to build something like that but what the diagram does not mention is drainage and air flow? If that pit is cemented on the floor and all around then where would the water go when rain falls or would you have to keep it covered? Also, how would you add firewood if there is no doorway?

I have never constructed anything like that. Maybe ask on the Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete forum. Hopefully someone there will know much more then I do.
http://forum.doityourself.com/bricks-masonry-asphalt-concrete-3/

Newt

You may want to investigate premade fire pit patios.

These patios give you a 5 ft. radius of solid concrete from the center of the fire.

Great for flame and spark containment.

Why not buy a wood burning stove and set it outside to cook on? You would only have to add a short smoke pipe to it and screen the pipe.

Actually, what I ended up doing was purchasing fireplace screen wire 0.25" and rig it around my existing pit so the pot sits on top of the wire and I've made a flexible gate to move aside when adding/adjusting firewood, this works great as not even ashes escape from the contraption.