Burning in Toledo

My brother uses one on the East Side. From what I understand as long as food is being cooked, or appears to be cooked, on it, you can burn an occasional piece of wood on the barbie.

I have one and use it all the time. We're in a rather public lot and have had police drive by while we were burning wood with no problems. the fact that they are sold all over the city makes me think it's not going to get you in any trouble.

I have one in Springfield township - purely for the fun of a firepit. Never had a problem with it.

Not Toledo, but we use one during the summer in Rossford. We have the same stipulation that it must be used for preparing food, so we roast marshmallows. We've never had a problem either.

I have friends who live in the Wernerts Corner area - they use a firepit almost every weekend when the weather is right.

Have never heard of it being an issue for them, and I've even been there when they've used it a few times.

We had one on the East Side easily seen from the Starr Ave exit of 280 and never had anyone come by to check. we pretty much always cooked on it anyway, but then sat around for hours talking and partying some weekends with no probs. do it. we buy wood out on 579 past the Woodville Mall, big red barn with wood stacked in front, guy cuts trees, good price.

If in doubt, break out a bag of marshmellows and sticks :)

I don't think it is an issue, just be considerate of your neighbors. They might not be so happy with their house smelling like a campfire if they sleep with the windows open.

The Charter of Toledo says:

1777.02. Open burning prohibited.

There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if set out at length herein for the purpose of prescribing regulations governing conditions related to air pollution that certain code known as Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-19 Open Burning Standards.

(Ord. 525-07. Passed 8-7-07.)

If you then go to the Ohio Administrative Code, chapter cited there:

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/3745-19-03

(2) Bonfires, campfires and outdoor fireplace equipment, whether for cooking food for human consumption, pleasure, religious, ceremonial, warmth, recreational, or similar purposes, if the following conditions are met:

(a) They are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent to or lower than those created from the burning of seasoned firewood;

(b) They are not used for waste disposal purposes; and

c) They shall have a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height.

Which means? Fire away :-)

Ace_Face is absolutely spot on...your neighbors will be pissed when they are downwind

2 things:
we were 1/2 mile from the Sun Oil refinery so I dont think pollution was a problem.
after we had been doing it for a few years, our neighbors went out and bought their own firepit and then made hunky turkey on it many times and never invited us!! made me mad at THEM! lol, it smelled SO good!

never invited us!!

Hey, give 'em a break, Nana! They're probably afraid of strangers.

That's my issue with fire pits - many of my neighbors have them. I have no idea what they are burning in them but it sure doesn't smell like firewood.

We have relatives with the misfortune of living in Oregon - near the lake - and at any time, day or night, 365 days a year the "people" who live in their "neighborhood" burn whatever they want and they lack the sense and respect for others to put the fire out completely so it smoulders continuously.

Before, during, and after, whatever it is they are burning stinks to high heaven. Sad thing of it is my relatives never burn anything, yet their house, their cars, their van - all of it - reeks of the stench of fire/smoke, not to mention what it does to their kid who has asthma. They have had to scrub down their windows and exterior walls nearest the fire because of the soot. During the summer the burnings are at their peak and they have had to stay in a motel overnight to escape the stench.

In Oregon it is evidently okay to burn dog poop, grass, used sanitary products, roadkill (dead skunks seem to be at the top of the list), newspapers, etc., and then let the kids throw salt (or something, not sure what it is) on it to make the flames shoot 50 feet into the air.

Get a fire pit and have fun, just remember to put the damn thing out completely, would ya?

Thanks for the info all!

We only burn wood in ours and usually have a few neighbors over at the time. Mr. anonymous called the fire dept one time. A suburban with a couple fire fighters showed up, told us we were perfectly legal and said they were jealous they were on duty and couldn't stay and have a beverage. Take that, Mr. anonymous. (we all know who Mr anon is on our road!!)

Poorboy, In my profession I routinely get called to Toledo homes with a fire pit burning in the backyard. It is never for the fire itself but for the "loud sound" or heavy drinking that may accompany it. Just be sure to keep the noise down and don't burn any plastics or treated lumber scraps and you'll be fine.

Mom called on neighbors one time. They had torn lumber out of their house, had a pile about 6' × 6' x 10' high, and flaming embers where coming off it and drifting into our yard. I hate to see anyone get in trouble, but she was worried our roof would catch fire. They didn't even have the sense to put an old rotten piece of meat on the flames.

I called the fire department and asked about these things. They are legal provided they are enclosed and have a three foot chimney with a screen to keep in sparks.

And as long as they fit the legal specifications, you don't need to be cooking food on them.

It is never for the fire itself but for the "loud sound" or heavy drinking that may accompany it.

There's the voice of experience. A family and friends gather around the backyard fire pit for a little cookout and wash the hamburgers and hot dogs down with a few cases of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Then a joint or two gets past around and by 10:00 PM everyone is well and truly lit. When the music gets cranked up so do the neighbors (who weren't invited to the party, by the way) and police are called.

This is the kind of call where the police earn every dime they make.

"never invited us!!

Hey, give 'em a break, Nana! They're probably afraid of strangers."

hahahahaha, you've cured me, Jack, now I'm only afraid of YOU! ;p