Fire Bans & Fire Pits

[Lynn2171]

Hello, in areas where fire restrictions are in place I'm wondering if you normally provided fire pits, are you trying to accommodate your guests with an approved propane fire pit?  And if so, are you charging extra for this?

[Karen114]

@Lynn2171  I am not in fire areas thankfully,  just hurricane prone areas 😑.. 

I am very risk averse and would not offer anything having to do with fire. 

I remember pleading with my husband to give me the blessing on some park style hibachi grills for our multi unit property.  I thought it would be really nice however he was diametrically opposed.  He was not wrong..  It would just be one more thing to manage and always be worrying about the wind blowing and embers flying everywhere.

We have umbrellas that the guests are asked to close up when done, they do not and an afternoon thunderstorm takes them out.  We go through a few a year. Guest compliance is tough. 

I suppose a propane pit would be less risky but guests and propane scare the bejesus out of me.  Just my 2 cents 😊

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lynn2171 @Karen114 

We are in NorthernCalifornia, and our business permit has a strict ban on any open flame. Thank goodness! We do not allow any open flame indoors either, and no smoking anything indoors or out. We spend most of the year avoiding fires. 

We do not trust propane (or guests) either - so this is our super easy solution. We have a Zojirushi table top electric grill. It is small and it is the only thing needed for guests that want the satisfaction of BBQ food and cooking outdoors. It is the least hazardous solution we could come up with. We also have battery operated candles for those guests who require that atmosphere. 

The electric grill gets unplugged brought inside and cleaned for each use. Not just for the care of the grill, also to avoid attracting wildlife of all kinds from flies, to raccoons, and Yellowjackets to Bears. 

We take personal responsibility for the grill just in case our guests don't remember.

[Karen114]

@Kitty-and-Creek0  that sounds like a great and very reasonable solution.  It makes it so much easier when certain things are banned in the area.  I get asked a lot about grills and I just tell them becuase I am a commercial building they are not allowed which might be a half truth.  😗.  I didn't bother to research any further once hubby put the kaibosh on it.  

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Karen114 

Smart!!!

[Lorna170]

@Lynn2171   If I could do without wood burning firepits, propane deck fireplaces and barbeques, I would.  Our guests expect a cabin in the woods to have these amenities, so we provide them along with instructions and safety notices.  

We have frequent burn bans here in the mountains. This applies to any open flame that is outdoors.  I post a "Burn Ban in Effect" sign in the cabin with the website address of our Fire Authority when a ban is in effect.  I also text the guest.  Now if they would only listen...

[Frank-And-Kenny0]

Hi @Lynn2171 , 
Our rental is in the mountains of Colorado. Our particular county (Clear Creek County) recently passed an ordinance whereby, NO STR can have any outdoor flame, including propane. This covers patio heaters, fire pits, wood, charcoal or propane barbeques.
Our only solution was to purchase an electric grill. It seems to do the job. We didn't add an extra charge as it is probably the same as the cost of propane. Maybe less.

[Elisa]

Hi @Lynn2171 😊, 

Thank you for asking this here.

Are you considering adding a fire pit to your property?

Have you made a decision after reading our host’s comment?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[Karen-And-Martin0]

There's a service that is new in my area but seems not to be new in general.  They do "in home" hibachi and I've contacted them about how they handle requests - do they verify that the requestor is the owner of the property.  They said they do not and WILL NOT verify if the owner of the property has given consent.  But what they did do is make a note on the address of my property that the service is not allowed.  I figure if enough people call to register that to restrict their property, they'll figure out a way to verify who owns the property.  I don't know if I can give the phone number or the website but you can search for "in home hibachi" or "hibachi with us" and I'm sure you'll find it.

[Elisa]

Hi @Karen-And-Martin0 😊, 

Thank you for sharing this, I didn't know!

Did something new happen in the meantime regarding this situation?

[Karen-And-Martin0]

@Elisa No -- nothing happened. I just wanted to raise it to the attention for other hosts. I wouldn't have known about it if a guest didn't invite it into my property.  Thanks for checking in!

[Elise43]

I let guests know prior to booking that we occasionally have burn-bans, and that when we do, they will not be able to use the fire pit. My messaging to them in the listing description, and prior to arrival helps educate them on best uses of the fire pit. (For instance, it’s never permissible to have an outdoor fire before 4 pm.) I make it really easy for them to follow the rules, and we have never had any problems. 

Hope this helps!