Gathering spot: Whether fancy or rustic, wood or gas, fire pits extend outdoor season

Gas burners are available in linear shapes or rings, like this one from New Mexico Fireplace Gallery. (Courtesy of Dean Carroll)

Fire pits: They’re primal, yet modern. They’re utilitarian, yet artistic.

Do it yourself
If gathering rock yourself, make sure it’s from a legal area, in a legal quantity, and of a heat-tolerant nature.

Dean Carroll of New Mexico Fireplace Gallery recommends having your natural gas fire pit installed by a licensed plumber to ensure safety and code-compliance.

Archaeological evidence suggests that species of humans have been gathering around fire pits for at least a million years to cook, socialize and stay warm.

Some things never change – gathering around an outdoor fire is as popular as ever, and there are options for every style, budget and skill level.

Meredith Ryan of Rio Rancho has only sweat equity invested in her family’s wood-burning fire pit.

Their gathering spot is a shallow circle in the back yard lined with medium-sized rocks collected from rural areas. “At least once a week we have a bunch of friends over for dinner, and we almost always wind up around the fire pit,” she says.

Jeff Tinker of Santa Fe built his 11-foot-wide wood-burning fire pit out of discounted, reclaimed and found items on a budget of around $75. (Courtesy of Jeff Tinker)

Jeff Tinker of Santa Fe created a stylish fire pit with artistic inspiration and a modest budget.

He used 12 glass blocks with slight imperfections purchased at a discount from an artisan, surplus tiles bought from ReStore and flagstone collected while on a road trip through Arizona.

Tinker’s 11-foot-wide glass and rock wood-burning creation was constructed for a day’s labor and around $75 in materials.

To build your own, an Internet search for “fire pit how-to” will yield thousands of ideas and tutorials for most skill sets and budgets.

If you desire a wood-burning fire pit but can’t commit a space to one, portable metal fire pits that can be put away when you’re done may be purchased from numerous local and online retailers. Available in many shapes, styles and price points, these metal fire pits can be set up or taken down in a few minutes. Prices start near $50.

If storing wood and cleaning up ashes is not for you, options abound for fire pits that run on natural gas or propane. Dean Carroll of New Mexico Fireplace Gallery in Albuquerque says there is a high demand for these products. “The reason for this popularity is the flexibility,” he says.

A natural-gas-burning fire pit made in part with materials available from New Mexico Fireplace Gallery. (Courtesy of Dean Carroll)

Gas burners are available in rings or linear shapes. Rings vary in diameter from six to 48 inches, and start around $49. Linear burners come in lengths from two to eight feet, and start around $184. Enclosures for gas-fueled fire pits range from rustic to elegant, and do-it-yourself to contractor levels.

These types of fire pits, or smaller versions called fire bowls, can be filled with decorative objects referred to in the industry as “media” that span a range of volcanic rock to colored glass to reflective opaque materials. Some burner rings can be submerged so that flames dance atop your water feature.

Fire pits can be filled with volcanic rock, colored glass or reflective opaque material. (Courtesy of Dean Carroll)

“There’s some really innovative stuff out there,” Carroll says. “You’re only limited to your own imagination.”

Natural gas fire pits offer the convenience of being attached to your home’s existing supply, but are permanently in-place. Propane fire pits require placing a tank nearby, but offer portability when permanence is not practical.

Whether large or small, decorative or utilitarian, fire pits can be a pleasant addition to your outdoor space, and way to squeeze more calendar days out of your outdoor living.

“We use it year-round,” Ryan says. “For us it was a way to make it a little more pleasant to sit outside at night and enjoy the stars.”