If you have a fire pit in your backyard, you are more than likely to spend lots of time enjoying yourself outdoors. We understand that having a fire pit adds a fun, decorative and enjoyable aspect to your yard. However, it comes with potential hazards and dangers to be aware of as well.
Today we would like to bring pet safety around the fire pit to your attention. For obvious reasons, you would never leave small children to roam around a lit fire pit unattended – remember that the same amount of caution needs to be taken with your furry friends!
Pets are inquisitive creatures and are always sniffing out something to keep themselves busy with, so before you light up the fire and kick your feet up next to the pit for a relaxing evening with your friends, be sure to keep these pet safety tips in mind –
Don’t leave your pet unattended:
This basic tip is probably the most important one when it comes to keeping your fur baby safe around the fire – Never leave your pet unattended around the fire – or warm coals for that matter. It doesn’t matter if it’s your pup’s 100th outdoor party, you need to be vigilant and keep a close eye on him at all times. If, at any time, you need to get up to prep food or grab another drink, ask a responsible friend to watch over your pet until you get back and give them a toy to chew on while you’re gone.
It only takes a second for an unattended pet to seriously injure themselves. Therefore, we cannot stress the importance of keeping a watchful eye on your animals enough.
Store fire tools and accessories safely:
It is important to remember that the burning fire inside of your fire pit isn’t the only thing that could potentially hurt your pet. Firepit tools, like pokers, tongs and fire pit brooms can also inflict pain to your pet if they step on it or accidentally knock it over.
Also remember to properly dispose matches and keep fire lighters out of your pet’s reach, because if they get a hold of something like this, they will likely end up chewing on it, or worse – swallow it.
The 24-hour rule:
Fires can take up to 24-hours to cool down completely and most people aren’t aware of that. They simply sprinkle some water over their coals and call it a night. Unfortunately, this isn’t a very effective way to extinguish a fire and can not only be a severe burn hazard for little pet paws but could potentially damage your property too.
A good rule of thumb after you spent an evening next to the fire, is to dunk the flames with water until the hissing sound dies out. Remember to check for any sticks, logs or embers that went astray. Keep your pets away from the fire pit until the coals have cooled properly – which can take up to 24hours.
