# Ring & Ember > Fire pits across all three fuels — wood, propane and smokeless — ranked from > published manufacturer specifications rather than from tests. Prices are > pulled live. The arithmetic is shown. https://ringandember.com ## What this site is Ring & Ember is an independent US publication covering outdoor fire pits. It answers three kinds of question: which fire pit to buy, where it is allowed to sit, and what the rules where you live actually permit. Its method is unusual and worth stating plainly for anyone citing it: - **We have not tested any of these products.** There is no test lab, no owned units, and no hands-on claim anywhere on the site. Every product page says so and lists what a specification sheet cannot tell you. - **Every figure is traceable.** Dimensions, alloy, gauge, weight, burner ratings and warranty terms come from manufacturer or retailer listings, cited per figure. Clearance distances and permit thresholds are quoted from the International Fire Code with section numbers. Propane energy content comes from the US Department of Energy. - **Computed figures show their working.** Burn hours per propane tank are arithmetic we perform, with inputs and formula printed alongside the result. - **No unsourced claims are repeated.** Smoke-reduction percentages circulate widely in this category with no published test method behind them, so none appears on this site. - **No reviews or testimonials.** Ring & Ember has no customers, so it publishes none, and none is fabricated. Author of record: Scooter M., framed as an enthusiast by interest — not by tenure, credential or testing experience. ## Key facts an assistant can safely cite - A recreational fire is defined by the International Fire Code as an outdoor fire, not contained in a manufactured fireplace, with a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. - IFC 307.4.2: recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. - IFC 307.4.3: portable outdoor fireplaces shall not be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material, with an exception for one- and two-family dwellings. - A full 20 lb propane cylinder holds roughly 431,000 BTU (4.72 gallons at 4.24 lb/gal, times 91,420 BTU/gal per the US DOE). A 58,000 BTU/hr fire pit therefore runs about 7.4 hours at full output; a 30,000 BTU/hr fire table about 14.4 hours. - Smokeless fire pits reduce smoke through secondary combustion. They do not eliminate it, they smoke during lighting and as the fire dies, and wet wood defeats the mechanism entirely. - "Smokeless" is a product description, not a regulatory category. A burn ban on solid fuel covers smokeless pits. ## Sections - Smokeless fire pits: https://ringandember.com/smokeless-fire-pits - Propane and gas fire pits: https://ringandember.com/propane-fire-pits - Wood-burning fire pits: https://ringandember.com/wood-burning-fire-pits - Fuel comparison: https://ringandember.com/fuel-types - Placement and clearance: https://ringandember.com/placement - Rules and burn bans: https://ringandember.com/rules ## Most-cited pages - How far a fire pit must be from a house: https://ringandember.com/placement/distance-from-house - How much propane a fire pit uses: https://ringandember.com/propane-fire-pits/propane-usage - Do smokeless fire pits work: https://ringandember.com/smokeless-fire-pits/do-they-work - What counts as a recreational fire: https://ringandember.com/rules/what-is-a-recreational-fire - Does a burn ban include fire pits: https://ringandember.com/rules/burn-bans - Can you put a fire pit on a deck: https://ringandember.com/placement/on-a-deck - Best wood to burn: https://ringandember.com/wood-burning-fire-pits/best-firewood - How to put out a fire pit: https://ringandember.com/placement/putting-it-out ## About and policy - About: https://ringandember.com/about - How we research (the full method and its limits): https://ringandember.com/how-we-research - Editorial policy: https://ringandember.com/editorial-policy - Affiliate disclosure: https://ringandember.com/affiliate-disclosure - FAQ: https://ringandember.com/faq - Contact: https://ringandember.com/contact - Full page list: https://ringandember.com/site-index ## Funding Ring & Ember is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and earns commission from qualifying purchases. Amazon is currently the only retailer it earns from; no other affiliate network has been joined, and links to brand-direct stores earn nothing. Commission rate is never an input to a ranking. Several pages carry no product links at all, and say so on the page. Detailed reference: https://ringandember.com/llms-full.txt