How To Use: firebowls and baskets
A real log fire can allow you to enjoy autumn evenings in the garden, says Tim Rumball
FORGET the telly – stick a log on the fire bowl, call up a few friends, grab a glass of wine and get out in the garden. Provided the rain holds off, socially distanced evening soirées and al fresco dinner parties can be just as much fun in autumn as they have been in summer if you have space for a fire bowl.
Basic types available
There are hundreds of designs available, ranging in price from around £20 to several hundreds of pounds, but all are either bowl or brazier shaped. The bowl shape gives a slow-burning campfire, making it frugal on wood use, and it stops ashes falling onto the ground so clearing up after the fire is easier. Brazier or basket styles are more upright and compact. They take a bit less space, burn quite strongly because they are pierced around the sides, drawing in more air, and because of that they radiate heat laterally very well.
The two I’m using for this article are the Blooma Tinaga steel fire bowl from B&Q (£55, 8 diy.com), and the Nami Fire Basket from firebowl specialists La Hacienda (£19.99, 8 lahacienda.co.uk for stockists). The Blooma Tinaga includes a spark cover, and a cooking grill for use when the flames have died down and you’ve got nice red glowing embers (or you can use charcoal).
Preparation and safety
Before you buy a fire bowl, make sure you have a safe place to use it. You should have space for people to sit comfortably 3-4ft (90-120cm) away. It can safely be placed on bare earth or rough ground, but the heat will seriously scorch grass if it’s on a lawn. A paved area like a patio is fine, but the heat can crack stone so always stand the bowl on a couple of old, cheap paving slabs stacked one on top of the other. Never light a fire bowl on a wooden patio, near a building, or close to a wooden fence. In dry periods, thoroughly clear away flammable plant debris like leaves and dry grass.
You’ll also need a poker and a fireproof glove, both available from stores selling wood-burning stoves. Well-seasoned logs burn freely and produce little smoke. They can be bought in nets from petrol stations and DIY/home outlets.
You can also burn dry, untreated wood like broken-up pallets, but never burn treated timber (fumes can be poisonous) or green, unseasoned wood, which will smoke heavily. And to get the logs burning use plenty of newspaper or a firelighter, and a generous bundle of kindling wood.
How to light your fire
To light your fire bowl, first put a firelighter, or six to eight double sheets of scrunched-up newspaper in the base. Add a few pieces of tightly twisted newspaper on top (they burn more slowly) then build a tepee or criss-cross cover of kindling wood over the newspaper or firelighters. Be generous, using about 15 pieces, but leave a small space to reach the paper or lighter with a match. Note that firelighters alone will struggle to light big logs. The kindling creates a hot ember that will produce results quickly.
Light the newspaper or firelighter from the windward side so any breeze blows the flame into the fire. When the kindling wood is burning strongly, add more pieces and let them catch, then place a couple of logs in the hottest part of the fire. Always wear a fireproof glove when adding wood to a burning fire.
How to control the fire
Once the logs catch, add two or three more and then settle back. The logs will soon burn strongly and you can bask in the cosy glow. Don’t stack lots of logs into the bowl – six should be plenty, depending on the size of the logs and bowl. As they burn down add one or two more. Overloading a fire bowl is dangerous and will probably be too hot to sit around.
Towards the end of your evening let the fire die down. When you’ve finished, cover it with a spark guard if you have one, and leave it to go out overnight. Don’t throw water on it. In the morning, stir through the ash and embers with your poker (and fireproof glove), and when they’re completely cool, sweep them up and throw them on the soil in the flowerbed or veg plot.