How best to burn

Updated: October 23, 2007 - 6:05 PM

There's an outdoor fire option for every back yard and every budget. But before you make a major expenditure, be sure to check local regulations, which vary widely. Many towns require burning permits for all outdoor burning units, as well as minimum distances between the unit and the dwelling.

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CHIMINEAS: These free-standing ovens, which project heat from an opening on one side, are the least-expensive option. Clay chimineas, which start at about $200, are practical in Mexico, where they originated, but less so in Minnesota, where climate extremes leave them vulnerable to cracking. Cast-iron or cast-aluminum chimineas are more expensive -- about $400 and up -- but will last much longer. Caution is required: Chimineas, especially cast-iron models, will get blistering hot. (For more information, visit www.thebluerooster.com)

FIRE PITS OR FIRE BOWLS: These units, the newest of the outdoor heating appliances, radiate heat in a circle and are ideal for gathering around, similar to a campfire. Prices start at about $200 for portable units (available at many home-improvement stores) and $1,000 for built-in units.

FIREPLACES: Masonry-style fireplaces are the Mercedes of outdoor burning options, with prices to match. Custom, built-in fireplaces start at about $10,000, but the cost can climb as high as $100,000. More affordable are pre-engineered fireplace kits, with pieces that fit together like giant Legos, and then are finished with stone veneer. The kits start at about $4,000 and are available locally at Hedberg Landscape and Masonry Supplies. Site selection is trickier with fireplaces, said Jeff Gaffney, a landscape designer with M/A/Peterson. "It creates a wall, and you could lose a view." And there have been cases of neighbors filing complaints about too-tall fireplaces that blocked their view. (For more information, visit www.outdoorfireplace.org)

KIM PALMER

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