Do I need to keep a spark screen over my wood-burning fire pit or outdoor fireplace while it's burning?
Yes — in Clyde, keep a spark screen over any wood-burning fire pit or outdoor fireplace the entire time it's burning. The 1960s-through-80s ranch homes here often have low decks and patios close to the house, and the Lower Pigeon Valley's damp mornings give way to dry afternoons — the window when a wind-blown ember actually catches.
Ranch homes, close-in patios
Clyde's older ranch-style neighborhoods around downtown and Crabtree tend to put the patio and a low deck right off the back of the house, which leaves little buffer between a fire pit and something combustible. Keep a wood pit on the ground on stone or gravel, not on the deck, hold it as far from the walls and railings as the yard allows, and clear the leaf litter that Haywood County's wooded lots drop. Keep the spark screen closed the whole burn. Haywood County posts burn bans in dry stretches — when one's active, no wood fire is allowed.
River humidity, dry hardware
The Lower Pigeon Valley's fog and river humidity rust dampers, caps, and the hinges on a spark screen faster than you'd expect, so check before each season that the screen still seats flush over the pit — a warped or rusted screen lets embers slip past. If the upkeep gets old, a spark-free [gas fire pit](/services/gas-fire-pit-installation) sidesteps it entirely: no embers, instant shutoff. Clyde runs a mix of gas and propane, and connecting either to an outdoor feature is licensed work we permit with Haywood County. We're about 25 minutes west — (828) 545-0525.
Cold-air drainage, bigger fires
Clyde shares the cold-air drainage that chills Canton and Waynesville, so evenings turn cold quickly and fires get built big and long to keep up. That's more embers over more hours — keep the screen fully seated, keep a hose within reach, never leave a fire burning while you step inside, and drown the coals until nothing's warm under your hand, not just until the flames are gone.
Fireplace help in Clyde
We install and service fireplaces throughout Clyde and the rest of Haywood County — just 25 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.