How to Put Out a Chiminea? – Safely

Before you light your chiminea and for safety purposes, you really need to think about How to put out a Chiminea?

To put a chiminea out, stop adding fuel, let the remaining fuel burn naturally then spread out any ashes and embers and allow them to die down or smother them with sand. DO NOT add water under any circumstances.

How to Put Out a Chiminea

Extinguishing a fire in a chiminea couldn’t be easier but does need some planning. Obviously, there are some additional tips and suggestions if you want to extinguish a chiminea fire quickly during an emergency but for the time being, we will just cover putting a chiminea fire out when you’ve finished using it.

Let’s first look at the steps of putting out a chiminea fire and then we’ll cover them separately below.

• 1) Stop adding fuel
• 2) Let the remaining fuel burn down naturally
• 3) Spread out any ashes or embers and allow them to die down
• 4) Smother ashes and embers with sand

Stop Adding Fuel

This may seem like an obvious step but it’s more about the timing. Stopping the addition of fuel will clearly mean that the fire will eventually go out. However, it does depend upon when you stop adding the fuel. Adding several logs to your chiminea 10 minutes before you plan to go inside will mean your chiminea will continue to burn for some time. You need to think about when you want to go inside and leave enough time before adding the final piece of fuel to allow your chiminea to burn out by itself. You must not leave it unattended whilst it is still alight.

Let Remaining Fuel Burn Down Naturally

Just allow enough time for your chiminea to burn all of the fuel naturally until you are left with just ashes and embers.

Spread Out Ashes and Embers

Spreading out any ashes and embers that are left in the bottom of your chiminea will allow enough air to get to them so that they burn themselves out completely. If you leave ashes and embers in a pile they will continue to glow and could possibly reignite anything that is in or is put into the chiminea. They could also cause a fire if they are blown out of the chiminea.

Smother Ashes and Embers with Sand

Smothering the remaining ashes and embers with sand will ensure they are completely out as it will prevent oxygen from getting to them and stop them from being blown out of the chiminea.

If you have a metal bucket you can also remove the embers and place them carefully into the bucket before pouring sand or water on them.

Can I Use Water to Put Out a Chiminea?

You should never use water to extinguish a chiminea unless it is an emergency and there is no other way to put out the fire.

Using water to put out a chiminea fire will more than likely damage your chiminea. This is due to the sudden shock of putting water onto the hot fire/chiminea. Whether you have a clay or cast iron chiminea, pouring water onto a fire within could cause your chiminea to crack which may render it unusable or cause the contents to fall onto the ground below.

Putting out a Chiminea in an Emergency

You can put out a chiminea in an emergency by pouring sand into the opening to smother the flames. You can pour water in but this should be a last resort because of the risks of cracking the chiminea.

Although chimineas are perfectly safe when used properly, before lighting a chiminea you should always make sure you have a bucket of sand nearby for emergencies. This is a standard safety requirement that will allow you to enjoy your chiminea to the full.

Don’t forget if you’re looking to buy a cast iron chiminea or clay chiminea you can do so in our shop. Don’t forget to check out our other useful articles including How to Repair a Clay Chiminea.