REVIEWED BY CAT MCCORY

One big draw of Blue Sky Outdoor Living fire pits is their claim that they can offer a smoke-free fire. So what is the best way to enjoy a fire with family and friends without the annoying smoke in your eyes? How do you use a Blue Sky fire pit correctly?

fire and smoke and words that read "smokeless fire in your Blue Sky?"

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1. Pick the Right Fire Pit

Blue Sky Outdoor Living offers several sizes and shapes of smokeless fire pits, each made of high-quality steel.

So which one is right for you?

Use our table below showing all of the Blue Sky smokeless fire pits currently available to find out which may be perfect for your lifestyle.

2. Find a Safe Place for Your Fire Pit

All Blue Sky Outdoor Living fire pits must be 10′ from any overhang or possibly flammable structure.

Also, the Blue Sky fire pits can tend to get really hot.

Because of this, never use your fire pit on a wood or composite deck.

Steer clear of putting it right on the grass or in mulch, and also know that any concrete or patio pavers you use it on could discolor from the heat.

3. Choose Your Fuel

Every smokeless fire pit from Blue Sky Outdoor Living is dual fuel, meaning you can have a wood pellet fire or use traditional firewood pieces.

The fuel you decide to use in your fire pit can depend on many factors, including your location, personal preference, and how much outdoor heating you are going for.

Below is a table that shows the benefits of firewood and wood pellets for use in your Blue Sky fire pit.

4. Load Your Fuel the Right Way

No matter which model of Blue Sky Outdoor Living smokeless fire pit you’re using, you load it the same way.

If you are going to burn wood pellets, fill up the burn chamber 2″.

a view of the pellets before the burn

For firewood, keep the pieces below the top holes of the burn chamber of the fire pit.

Also, arrange your firewood in a tipi or log cabin shape to allow room for air underneath.

5. Lighting Your Fire Pit is Simple

Use a fire starter to help light it, but steer clear of lighter fluids.

I like to use the Stump Chunks fire starter because it is natural and works great.

stump chunks fire starter bag

With pellets, simply put your starter of choice on top of the 2″ layer you put in the burn chamber of the fire pit and light it.

For wood, use kindling along with your bigger pieces and put your fire starter underneath near one of the pieces and light it.

How quickly it starts in your fire pit will depend on the moisture level of your wood and wind conditions.

6. Keep the Smoke Away

When adding more wood or pellets to your fire, maintain the same rules you used when loading your fire pit.

Always keep the pellets at the 2″ deep mark and keep your firewood below the top holes of the pit.

This will help ensure that your smokeless fire pit really does have little smoke to contend with.

Understand that when you are starting your fire pit and also while it is initially heating up, there will be more smoke than there will be later on once the fire burns longer

7. Maintain Your Fire Pit for a Long Life

Now that you’ve had a great fire, it’s time to maintain your smokeless fire pit to enhance its life span.

Once the fire and embers have cooled completely, dump them somewhere appropriate, like in a garden bed or compost pile.

The Pike and Ridge Blue Sky Outdoor pits come with an included carrying bag that can be used to store it.

portable bag for the product

The Peak smokeless fire pit has a cover that is sold separately, as does the Mammoth.

If you don’t have a cover, keep your pit out of the elements as the high temperature paint can wear down and the steel rust.

Understand that, because of the heat involved, a patina will form regardless at some point, but keeping it out of the weather or covered will help keep it at bay.

How Does a Smokeless Fire Pit Work?

Whether it is a portable firepit or one of their larger models, each fire pit from Blue Sky Outdoor Living has the same smokeless design.

the underneath of the top piece showing the hollow chamber
ridge top holes

Outside air is pulled in through the holes at the bottom of the fire pit.

As it rises through the hollow chamber around the burn chamber, it heats up.

It exits the holes at the top as super-heated air, burning up more of the embers and particles that are otherwise emitted as smoke.

When this process is working really well you can even watch the flames coming from the holes at the top!

How Do You Keep Sparks From Shooting Out of Your Fire?

Even though these products are smoke-free, this doesn’t keep the largest debris and sparks from coming out of your fire pit during your outdoor adventure.

It is more of a problem when using wood as fuel as this doesn’t seem to happen when burning pellets.

This company offers optional spark screens for their Ridge, Peak, and Mammoth models and in my experience, they really help to keep the sparks down.

a spark screen and lid lifter on the Blue Sky Ridge fire pit keeping down embers

I bought these fire pits in bundles which was definitely a money-saver.

If interested, you can find the Ridge bundle here, the Peak bundle here, and the Mammoth bundle here.

Want to learn much more about Blue Sky fire pits? Click here to learn more!

You may also enjoy these articles:
Burning wood in a Blue Sky
Accessories for Blue Sky fire pits

Cat is a nature lover who wants to help you make the most of your family and friend time in the great outdoors by offering helpful tips about fire pits, backyard activities, and camping. Learn more about Cat here.