For a wood-burning fire pit, use the fuel specified by its manufacturer. Dry, seasoned, untreated firewood is the usual starting point. When the wood runs out, end the fire rather than feeding it with household waste or an unapproved substitute.
Use Dry, Untreated Firewood
Choose suitable firewood and dry kindling. Check moisture with a meter if you are uncertain; EPA’s archived Burn Wise guidance recommends wood around 20 percent moisture. See our guide to choosing firewood for a fire pit.
“Green” means insufficiently dried wood, not a particular species. Softwood and green wood are not interchangeable terms. Wet or green wood can produce excess smoke; wood smoke should not be described as harmless.
Keep These Materials Out of the Fire
- Plastic and household trash: Use the appropriate waste or recycling service.
- Painted, pressure-treated or engineered wood: Do not burn furniture, construction waste or wood with an unknown treatment.
- Yard waste and unknown plants: Do not use leaves, brush or plants as a substitute for firewood.
- Packaging and glossy paper: Do not use the fire pit as a disposal route for boxes, wrapping paper or magazines.
- Gasoline, lighter fluid and other flammable liquids: Never add them to start or revive the fire.
Check Alternative Fuels Before Using Them
Wood pellets, compressed wood bricks and manufactured fire logs are not automatically compatible with every fire pit. Use an alternative only when both the fire pit’s instructions and the fuel’s label permit that use. If you plan to cook, confirm that the fuel is also suitable for cooking.
Do not assume an S&S fire pit is pellet-ready, improvise a pellet basket or burn loose coffee grounds and wax-bound logs without approval for the exact setup.
Match Fuel to the Fire Pit
A gas fire feature has different requirements from a wood-burning bowl. Follow the complete appliance’s instructions; do not add wood to a gas burner or treat a gas log set as a complete fire pit. When comparing S&S fire pits, check the model details and ask about the intended fuel before buying.
End the Fire When the Suitable Fuel Runs Out
Keep the fire supervised and follow its shutdown instructions. The goal is a manageable fire, not keeping it going with whatever material is nearby.
Reference: EPA: Backyard Recreational Fires (archived Burn Wise guidance).
