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These days enjoying a smoky s'more doesn't require a roaring campfire in Michigan's northern reaches.
Instead, Midland families are putting together the chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker treats right at home, over fires burnt in copper, iron and stone fire pits.
"People are staying home now because of high fuel prices and they're spending time in their own back yards," said Randy Duford, manager of Brubaker's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, 404 W. Wackerly St. "They're making their own little rec areas in their own back yard."
Those outdoor spaces can be elaborate, incorporating stone patios, pools and kitchens complete with built-in cabinets, sinks, refrigerators and stoves.
And the fire pit is increasingly becoming a staple of outdoor living, Duford said. In business since 1975, Brubaker's has expanded to include fireplaces over the last 10 years, and that has naturally grown to include outdoor fire pits, Duford said.
"They're more popular now than they have been," he said.
Custom spaces for fire pits that are fueled by natural gas and are permanent can be built with stone or blocks that match other features in the back yard, like a patio.
There are also portable gas fire pits that can be carried out into the yard or patio, plugged into a gas line and then put back into the garage when the fun is over.
And if you want to take the fire pit to a tailgate party, it can be fueled with a canister of liquid propane.
There are several styles of gas-fueled pits, Duford said. Stones, logs that look like real wood - like those used in gas fireplaces, or glass beads can be placed inside the fire pit.
"The fire burns on top of the glass beads and it kind of looks like fire and ice," Duford said.
Gas pits have an advantage over styles that burn wood, Duford said.
"It's a clean burn - no smoke," he said.
Though gas fire pits are becoming more popular, the most common types are those that burn wood, said Mark Laux, a firefighter with the Midland Fire Department.
Wood burning fire pits are legal in Midland, but only wood may be burned in them - not rubbish, trash, leaves, paper or treated or painted lumber, Laux said.
"Our biggest concern is what people are burning in them," Laux said.
Treated or painted lumber can give off gases and noxious fumes, he said. And those fumes can dangerous, as well as smelly.
Laux said using dried out firewood and keeping the fire hot will cut down on smoke, as a smoldering fire tends to produce more smoke.
According to Midland's fire code, fire pits must be no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet, and they must be located at least 10 feet from walls, roofs, decks or any other materials that could combust.
Fire extinguishing materials - hoses, buckets, or a fire extinguisher - must be nearby and someone must be in constant attendance at any fire until it is put out.
The fire codes weren't written to discourage people from having fun, Laux said. They are meant to make it as safe as possible for people.
"It sets a guideline and, hopefully, people will recognize that and keep it safe for everyone," Laux said.
The Midland fire pit regulations can be found online at www.midland-mi.org/government/departments/fire/recfires.htm
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