Ring of fire

Fireside chats about residential fire pits
When Kris Manning and her husband bought their house on Delahow Street 12 years ago, one of the features that clinched the deal was the outdoor fire pit. Although there was a gas fireplace inside, Manning said the idea of crackling wood burning outside brought back childhood memories of bonfires on the beach.
 
“There’s nothing like the smell and the sound on a crisp night of a fire pit that burns wood,” said longtime Daniel Island resident, Manning, who is transitioning off the island and currently selling the home. “It feels very transformative when you sit there and stare at the flickering flames; you can unwind very quickly.”
 
Manning said the beautiful weather on DI invites year-round use of the outdoor space, which always promised backyard adventures when their two sons were growing up.
 
“When the kids were little, we would go out and roast marshmallows and tell spooky stories around the fire pit,” Manning said. “Now that they’re grown, we go out there and listen to music and entertain our friends. It’s a really beautiful focal point in the back yard and it’s a great way to relax any day of the week.”
 
When Tom Garber moved into his Center Park home three years ago, he said the backyard was overgrown and looked like a jungle. One of his first home improvements was adding a planting bed, ambient lighting, a water feature and a fire pit to the landscape.
 
“We probably have the smallest house on Daniel Island on a postage-size lot, so we wanted something where we could entertain and it works great for us,” said Garber, who sits by the fire almost every evening making business calls or relaxing with his family. “I can say that it’s probably used 360 days of the year.” 
 
Garber said the fire adds a warm glow to the palm trees and planter bed in his yard and it also keeps the mosquitoes away. On concert nights at Credit One Stadium, Garber can enjoy the music on his patio and his grandchildren like to visit and make s’mores around the flames.  
 
For Bill Ennis and his family, gatherings around their fire pit have become a tradition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they began hosting Thanksgiving dinner outside with a table set up next to the fire pit, which Ennis said makes the celebration more special.
 
“There have been a lot of festive nights, especially during the holidays,” Ennis said. “It’s a phenomenal way to spend time with your family.”
 
The Ennis’ Lesesne Street home overlooks the Ralston Creek golf course and they enjoy watching the changing colors of the landscape, especially in the fall and winter months when they use the fire pit several times a week.
 
“It’s an extension of the house and we wanted to keep it simple and keep the back yard as natural as we could,” said Ennis, who used Providence brick made in Charleston for the patio and pathway to the fire pit. “It adds a significant amount of dimension to the yard.” 
 
Lani Staebell and her husband built a pool and spa at their Nobels Point home last winter and incorporated a modern fire pit into the design. They used marble tile to create sleek, clean lines that match the aesthetic of the house and the pool; what Staebell describes as more of a Mediterranean feel.
 
“It’s such a great space and it’s an easy way to entertain and enjoy the weather year-round,” Staebell said. “With the salt air and the scenery, you don’t want to be inside.”
 
Staebell said they entertain different groups of friends and neighbors almost every weekend; swimming, watching football, and enjoying cocktails and conversation around the fire pit. They even set up a s’mores station so their daughter and her friends can join the festivities.
 
“The men can go up and sit at the bar and watch TV, but the women really enjoy a nice crisp glass of chardonnay around the fire pit while their kids are right in front of them making s’mores,” Staebell said. “It’s just perfect.”   
 
Fire pits can burn wood or gas logs and be freestanding or custom built to blend into a landscape. Permanent structures are required to be approved by the Daniel Island Architectural Review Board before installation, according to Danielle Stix, associate community manager for the Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association.
 
Daniel Island follows the City of Charleston’s ordinance regarding recreational burning, which is allowed if the fire is within a device designed for the purpose of containing recreational fires and kept 25 feet from any structure or combustible material. 
 
In addition, the fire should be constantly attended and a minimum of one portable fire extinguisher or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing equipment, such as a garden hose, should be available for immediate utilization.
 

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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