If you are interested in one of the Blue Sky Outdoor Living smokeless fire pits, and you know that they burn wood pellets, you may ask yourself if it can also burn firewood.

In this article, we will answer that question and show you how to use this smokeless fire pit to maximize your outdoor experience while minimizing smoke.

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Blue Sky Wood Burning Fire Pits

From their smallest, most portable fire pit to their largest, all of the Blue Sky fire pits are dual fuel, meaning they can burn wood pellets and firewood.

They can also both kinds of fuel at the same time, putting a few scoops of pellets in the bottom of the burn chamber and burning wood on top, getting some of the benefits of both types of fuel in one fire.

How to Burn Wood in a Blue Sky

Below are some tips and tricks you can use when using your fire pit to give you the best experience possible.

1. Add Fire Starter

Put fire starter in the bottom of the burn chamber first. This could be a natural starter, like Stump Chunks, the one I use.

According to the owner’s manual, you can also fill the fire pit with 2″ of wood pellets first to help get the fire going. Then put your starter on top of the pellets.

Stay away from lighter fluid.

2. Stack the Wood

Blue Sky Outdoor Living recommends adding your firewood in a way that allows air to pass beneath the pieces, such as using the tipi or log cabin configuration.

They also warn against adding pieces that extend past the holes at the top of the burn chamber in the fire pit because it may create more smoke.

3. Start the Fire Right

Using a lighter or long torch, which you can see here, ignite your fire starter.

It will produce smoke at the beginning of the burn as the fire is heating up. As it heats up it should create a more smoke-free fire.

4. Add Fuel

Add wood as necessary, but remember to try to keep the firewood below the top holes in the Blue Sky fire pit.

As the fire heats up, you may notice the secondary burn created by the design of Blue Sky’s smokeless fire pits.

This looks like flames coming through the top holes in the burn chamber which burn up embers and other particles before they get a chance to exit the pit.

5. Consider a Spark Screen

Although Blue Sky’s high-efficiency fire pits create a more smokeless fire, natural firewood is always going to come along with sparks and pops when used in a campfire.

I have the spark screen accessory Blue Sky offers for my Blue Sky fire pits and use it exclusively when I burn wood.

Wood pellets don’t seem to create the sparks and I haven’t found it necessary to use the screen when using that fuel.

But, when using wood in my Blue Sky, whether I am using one of the Ridge portable fire pits or the large Mammoth, I love using the spark screen because I don’t have to worry about a spark popping out and hitting someone or catching the grass on fire.

I bought all of my pits in a bundle that included the screens, and you can find the Peak patio fire pit bundle here.

Tips for Using Wood in Your Blue Sky Fire Pit

• The more dry the wood that you are using in one of the smokeless fire pits, the more heat it will create and the less smoke it will produce.
• It may take some time for your wood fire to heat up enough to see that secondary burn and achieve a smokeless fire. Pellets don’t take as long to get to that point.
• Your smokeless fire pit works by pulling outside air in through the holes at the bottom of the pit, which gets super heated as it moves through the hollow space in the fire pit. As it exits the top holes it is super heated and gives that secondary burn that destroys the particles leaving your fire. That is why it is important to keep your firewood below those top holes.

• Wood offers a great campfire and offers that soothing crackling sound as well. Pellets give more heat and fewer sparks but they won’t offer the comfort of the campfire sounds.
• Blue Sky fire pits can get very hot and it is not recommended to use them on a composite wood deck or any wood or flammable surface. Use these fire pits on concrete patio stones or flat concrete pavers along with the understanding that they may become discolored underneath from the heat.
• Because these fire pits are made of steel, it isn’t recommended that you put the fires out with water as this may warp the pit.

Learn more about Blue Sky Smokeless Fire Pits!

You may also enjoy these articles:
Where to Buy a Blue Sky Fire Pit – click here
How do You Use a Blue Sky Fire Pit – click here