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February 10, 2008
Fire Pit in Brooklyn?
Wondering if anyone knows if you are permitted to have a fire pit in a Brooklyn backyard?
Comments
Not sure about the regs, but I once considered this too. The smoke and odor is very overpowering especially when trapped between close together buildings.
Even if you are allowed, get ready for really pissed off neighbors and maybe even a few visits from the FDNY.
Why not be more considerate and opt for the Alcohol gel burining variety - much cleaner and less of a nuissance.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 7:54 AM
In my prior house, our neighbor had a fire pit. While it made me a little nervous that he might burn the whole block down (he let the fire get out of control), the smell of the burning leaves was actually very nice.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at February 11, 2008 8:13 AM
Burning wood is toxic, and a lot of the old buildings in Brooklyn are not sealed from the outside air so your fire-pit smoke will make it inside peoples homes.
New York State bans the open burning of leaves BTW.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 10:55 AM
It's not legal.
It's why restaurants aren't allowed to have open-pit barbeque things. There is a minimum footage away from buildings for any open fire and it's pretty far, farther than any Brooklyn backyard allows.
I'd never do it. Despite best efforts we always have at least some dry brown leaves in our backyard. It just takes a spark to set it all afire.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 11:18 AM
An open fire pit wouldn't be legal, but an outdoor fireplace would. If what you're proposing meets the code standards, clearances, and all that as a fireplace, you'd be fine.
Posted by: Smokychimp at February 11, 2008 12:42 PM
Smokychimp said it best. If it is covered, it is no longer an open burn. I have an outdoor fire place in my backyard, FDNY paid a visit when someone called 911 for the smell of smoke and no violations were written. Remember discretion is the better part of valor, it's never wise to alienate your neighbors. Oh, and burning leaves is always illegal - it creates too much smoke and is really dangerous.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at February 11, 2008 1:52 PM
Are you thinking of having King Kong over for ribs next summer?
I'll bet you the streams of water from your neigbors hoses will reach your fire pit long before your guests arrive.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 2:45 PM
Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy,
Can you please clarify the outdoor fireplace rules.
Thanks
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 3:01 PM
The barbeque pits made with metal barrels ARE closed and they are STILL illegal. Look up the restaurant Pies N Thighs in Williamsburg. They were shut down recently for their barbeque (also likely other reasons too). There's another barbeque restaurant that had to go way up into Harlem to open just to find enough outdoor space to have the barbeque far enough away from any buildings.
Mostly just look around all the backyards in Brooklyn. You will not find one outdoor fireplace in them. It's not because nobody ever thought of the idea before.
Don't get your info about fire codes from some unnamed guy on Forum.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 4:03 PM
BBQ rules are on the FDNY website; nothing is allowed on balconies, and a BBQ must be minimum ten feet from any building. A firepit is a different animal, though--no idea whether that's allowed.
Posted by: Rehab at February 11, 2008 4:34 PM
"Burning wood is toxic"
thanks al gore. that is the dumbest thing i have read in a while. i think some of you brownstoners should get out of the city more often.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 4:38 PM
And to the knucklehead guest at 4:03, I do fire code for a living. The locations you mention are commercial establishments and have nothing to do with residential. Just because you don't have a clue doesn't mean the rest of us haven't figured it out.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at February 11, 2008 5:26 PM
Rehab i correct. When it is enclosed and used for recreation (rather than to burn trash or fire a hot water heater)it falls under the rules of barbecues in NYC which is covered by title 3 of the rules of the City of New York:
§24-02
Barbecues on Residential Property.
Barbecues on residential property shall not be operated within ten (10) feet of any combustible material and there shall be available for use a garden type hose attached to a water supply or at least a sixteen (16) quart pail of water.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at February 11, 2008 5:26 PM
Jesus, whatever happened to the bill of rights. Everyone's up in arms about the government wiretapping al quaeda, meanwhile we can't even heat up a smore in our backyard.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 8:58 PM
8:58 PM: The Bill of Rights includes the right not to have your house burned down by an imbecilic neighbor. The ten foot restriction from combustible material means in a 20' wide lot, if you put your barbecue dead center, you're still too close to a wooden fence (combustible material) on each side of your back yard. When my next door neighbor built a raging fire in his barbecue spewing sparks at both fences, you can bet I called FDNY. One lit fence on either of his lot lines would have led the flames right back to his house and one of his neighbors (either mine or the one on the other side of his property). No thanks.
Posted by: guest at February 11, 2008 11:27 PM
I've had a fire pit for six years (along with 2 charcoal grills). None of my immediate neighbors has complained about the former to my knowledge, but smoke from the fire pit has caused phone calls to FDNY. They "visited" twice, and both times left without putting out the fire or issuing a citation.
Found this on nyc.gov site concerning BBQs:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/rcny_legal/rcny_sect_24_04.shtml
Nothing specific about fire pits, but based on my experience, I'd say no worries.
Posted by: BoerumHill at February 12, 2008 1:20 AM
OP - Having lived next door to a tenant who thought it was a great idea to smoke out everyone on the block, please know that only an inconsiderate and or clueless IDIOT would think its OK to burn wood in a backyard. Don't put yourself in that camp. Just an FYI, my ex-neighbor did have a metal enclosed pit, I did call the fire department, they did put it out every time, and they did tell me it was illegal.
Posted by: guest at February 12, 2008 11:00 AM
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