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How to light a chiminea

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have the chiminea or the bowl on the patio, and the risky part is the first match. How to light a chiminea, or a small fire pit, is a small fire on dry fuel, watched until the ash is cold. Petrol, wet wood, a fire left overnight and hot coals in a wheelie bin are the failures fire services keep repeating. This page is the sequence, not a ranking. Which shape to buy is the [outdoor fireplace comparison](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/outdoor-fireplace). Steel and cast iron here do not need a clay-curing timetable. A new Relaxdays or LIVIVO is metal. Links to amazon.co.uk can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the chiminea or the bowl on the patio, and the risky part is the first match. How to light a chiminea, or a small fire pit, is a small fire on dry fuel, watched until the ash is cold.

Our top picks

Vivo Technologies Vivo 46 cm square grill pit

Best overall

Vivo Technologies Vivo 46 cm square grill pit
8.4/10about £21.24
View offer
Yaheetech Yaheetech 54 cm round bowl

Rank 2

Yaheetech Yaheetech 54 cm round bowl
8.8/10about £33.24
View offer
Relaxdays Relaxdays cast-iron terrace oven

Alternative

Relaxdays Relaxdays cast-iron terrace oven
6.7/10about £98.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set it down before you strike a match
  2. 2.Fuel that lights, and fuel that smokes
  3. 3.Light a small fire and keep it small
  4. 4.Put it out and keep the ash out of the bin

Set it down before you strike a match

Put the pit on a flat, non-combustible base. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue say avoid decking, fences, sheds and overhanging trees, and keep the pit steady. A bullet that says patio does not make timber decking a hearth. There is no single UK legal gap. Scottish Fire and Rescue have used three feet from combustibles. L&Q tells its residents three metres, and not on a balcony or decking. If you only have decking, do not light there. Take a rain lid off before the fire. The Relaxdays bullets include a rain roof. A lid on a live fire traps heat. A mesh spark guard can stay on if you can feed the fire safely. A weather cover stays off until the metal is cold. Move a heavy chiminea before the first log. Keep water or sand within reach.

Fuel that lights, and fuel that smokes

Use the fuel printed on the listing, dry and untreated. The Yaheetech names charcoal and firewood. The Vivo names wood and charcoal. The Relaxdays field is charcoal. Pellets belong in the Gonggi, which names them, not by default in a chiminea that does not. Painted fence panels, stamped pallets and household rubbish are not fuel. In England, wood sold under 2 cubic metres must be Ready to Burn, at 20% moisture or less. Wet wood smokes, and that is how people reach for accelerant. Fire services and GOV.UK say do not use petrol, including on a barbecue. Lighter fluid on a cold chiminea is the same mistake. Two handfuls of kindling and two small logs are enough. A smokeless title on a Generic ZML does not fix damp wood. Reviewers still report smoke for the first 10 to 15 minutes.
Vivo Technologies Vivo 46 cm square grill pit

Testsieger

Vivo Technologies Vivo 46 cm square grill pit
8.4/10about £21.24
View offer

Light a small fire and keep it small

Lay kindling so air can move. Use the Yaheetech log grate, and the Relaxdays coal grate for charcoal. Light the firelighter at arm’s length, then add one small piece of fuel. Love Logs, a seller rather than a fire service, describes two small logs, then one at a time. That pace matches the fire services. The shop page is not an official procedure. If flames leave the mouth, Lancashire treat the chiminea fire as too big. On the Gonggi, about 20 cm across, small means a handful of pellets. Fit the rack first. One reviewer burned the heat mat because it was upside down. Stay with the fire. Mid and West Wales say extinguish it before bed.

Put it out and keep the ash out of the bin

Let the flame die down, then finish it with water or sand. GOV.UK says cool ash and put it on bare soil, not into a dustbin. Lancashire have attended bin fires from coals that looked grey and were still hot. Looks out is not cold. Cast iron such as the Relaxdays holds heat after the glow has gone. Do not store a pit indoors until the fire is out. If the fire leaves the bowl and you cannot kill it, get people out and call 999. Lancashire’s line is to leave and call, not to hero the fence with a teacup of water. Season-long smoke into a neighbour’s rooms is fire pit smoke and neighbours, not a bigger fire next week.

Common questions

What do I put in first?
Kindling or a natural firelighter, with air underneath, then one small piece of the fuel the listing names. On a grate, use the grate. Two small logs after the kindling show whether the draw works. A chiminea stuffed to the mouth is already too big.
Can I use petrol or barbecue lighter fluid?
No. Fire services and GOV.UK say not to use petrol on a fire pit, a chiminea or a barbecue. Lighter fluid on cold steel can flare and run onto the patio. If the wood will not catch, it is too wet or packed too tight. Wait for dry fuel.
Which wood, and how dry?
Dry, untreated wood, or the charcoal the listing names. In England, small bags on sale should be Ready to Burn, at 20% moisture or less. Wet wood smokes. Painted timber and household waste do not belong in the bowl.
How big should a chiminea fire be?
Small enough that flames stay inside the mouth and the chimney. Lancashire Fire and Rescue treat flames leaving the opening as a fire that is too big. Add one piece at a time. A larger fire is harder to put out at bedtime.
Do I take the rain roof off?
Yes. A rain roof or chimney lid, including the Relaxdays one, comes off before you light. Mesh spark screens are ember guards, and you still need a safe way to add fuel. A soft weather cover stays off until the metal is cold.
How do I put it out before bed?
Let it burn down, then use water or sand until nothing is glowing. Do not leave a pit to go out overnight. Wind and a leftover ember can restart a flame against a fence. Extinguish it, then deal with the ash as a separate step.
Can the ash go in the wheelie bin tonight?
Not while it is warm. GOV.UK says ash goes on bare soil, not into a dustbin. Lancashire have dealt with bin fires from coals that looked dead. Use a metal container if you must move it. Plastic bins are for cold ash on another day.

Related pages

Outdoor fire pit buying guide

Chiminea or fire pit

Outdoor fireplace

Best outdoor fire pit UK: which listing fits the job

Fire pit smoke control area: what is still allowed

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings. Last updated 22 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK, Smoke control area rules (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Smoke control enforcement in England (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, Garden bonfires: the rules (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, Nuisance smoke and council complaints (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Defra, Outdoor burning (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, Selling wood for domestic use in England (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue, Firepit safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Barbecues and chiminea (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. amazon.co.uk, Outdoor fire pits best sellers (retrieved 22 October 2026)