Buying guide · Outdoor living · Modern Studio, Laguna Beach
Modern fire pits, fire tables & ethanol fireplaces for Southern California winters.
Coastal evenings turn cool from late October. This guide compares ethanol, gas and wood, explains how the South Coast AQMD’s winter no-burn rules apply, and picks fire tables, bowls and indoor fireplaces from EcoSmart Fire, AK47 Design and Prism Hardscapes.
Start with the fuel
Ethanol, gas or wood: the choice decides where the fire can go.
Bioethanol needs no gas line and no chimney. You pour liquid fuel into a burner, light it, and close it to put the flame out. That’s why EcoSmart’s ethanol pieces can move, and why some of them are rated for indoor use. EcoSmart describes the flame as smokeless, with no smoke, soot or ash.
Natural gas or propane gives more heat and push-button convenience, but the table stays where the gas line or tank is. Many EcoSmart fire tables come in all three fuels. On the Base 40, ethanol puts out up to 20,433 BTU/h, and gas or propane up to 65,000 BTU/h.
Wood gives you crackle and smoke, and it is the fuel that winter no-burn rules restrict. If you love an open wood fire, AK47 Design’s steel pits are the most sculptural way to have one.
We first wrote about EcoSmart’s fuel options in 2023: bioethanol and fuel-source flexibility. This guide adds the current range, gas and wood options, and layout advice.
| Fuel | Hookup | Where it works | Heat (examples from this guide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bioethanol | None. Pour-in liquid fuel | Indoors (models rated for it) and outdoors; movable | Up to 20,433 BTU/h on EcoSmart Base 40, Cosmo 50 and Gin 90 |
| Natural gas / propane | Gas line or tank | Outdoors, fixed position | Up to 65,000 BTU/h on the same EcoSmart tables and the Prism Manchester |
| Wood | None | Outdoors only; subject to no-burn days | Varies with the fire |
Orange County & Los Angeles
No-burn days start November 1.
The South Coast AQMD’s Check Before You Burn program runs from November 1 through the end of February. On days when poor air quality is forecast, mandatory curtailments apply to burning wood. Its rules also bar new wood-burning devices in new developments, while allowing open-hearth fireplaces with gas or alcohol-fuel log sets and designs that don’t use wood, like flames in river rock or glass.
In practice, that makes ethanol and gas the year-round choice for coastal homes, and wood a fire for allowed nights. Check the AQMD’s Check Before You Burn FAQ and your city or HOA rules before you choose. A gas fire table also needs a licensed installer for the gas line.
Inside the house
Ethanol fireplaces with no chimney.
EcoSmart rates the Ghost and Igloo for indoor use only; the Pop 3L and Stix work indoors or out. EcoSmart says the Ghost’s burner warms a space of about 20 square meters. Treat these fires as atmosphere and gentle warmth, not as a home’s heating system, and follow the manual for fueling and clearances.
EcoSmart Fire · indoor ethanol
GHOST DESIGNER FIREPLACE
From $2,417.75
15.7″ W × 15.2″ D × 43.5″ H · indoor only · 2.5L AB3 burner
Glass on four sides and a steel base. EcoSmart rates the burner for more than eight hours on a fill.
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EcoSmart Fire · indoor ethanol
IGLOO DESIGNER FIREPLACE
$3,253.75
38.5″ L × 19.4″ W × 35.6″ H · indoor only · BK5 burner
A wide, low glass box with an adjustable flame. It reads like a piece of furniture beside a sofa.
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EcoSmart Fire · indoor & outdoor
POP 3L DESIGNER FIREPLACE
$1,705.25
13.8″ W × 13.8″ D × 27.4″ H · 34.61 lb
Powder-coated steel with a borosilicate glass screen and a log niche below. It comes in orange, yellow, black or white.
View details
EcoSmart Fire · portable
Stix Portable Fire Unit
$2,275
21.9″ × 21.9″ × 30.7″ H · 51 lbs
Designed by Hiroshi Tsunoda: stainless steel “sticks” around an ethanol burner, for indoor or outdoor use. Winner of a 2011 DesignEx Best New Product award.
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On the patio
Fire tables and fire bowls.
A fire table puts the flame in a surface you can set a drink on; a fire bowl is the flame alone. A low table of 11–13″ suits deep lounge seating, like a coffee table. The Gin 90 comes in four heights, from low and chat to dining and bar, so the fire can sit at dinner-table height too.
EcoSmart Fire · compact fire table
SIDECAR 24 FIRE PIT TABLE
$2,370.25
24″ × 24″ × 18″ H · 110 lb
Small enough for a balcony or a reading corner, in ethanol, natural gas or propane.
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EcoSmart Fire · square fire table
BASE 40 FIRE PIT TABLE
From $2,845.25
39.4″ × 39.4″ × 13.3″ H · ethanol up to 20,433 BTU/h · gas up to 65,000 BTU/h
Concrete composite or teak. Choose ethanol for flexibility, or natural gas or propane for more heat.
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EcoSmart Fire · rectangular fire table
COSMO 50 FIRE PIT TABLE by EcoSmart Fire
From $4,745.25
50″ L × 30″ W × 11.7″ H · 150 lb
A long, low flame line for a coffee-table position in front of an outdoor sofa. Height-adjustable feet level it on pavers.
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EcoSmart Fire · long fire table
GIN 90 (CHAT) FIRE PIT TABLE
From $6,075.25
89.4″ L × 43.2″ W × 23.4″ H · 416 lb
A 7½-foot table with a fire channel, in teak or concrete. The same design comes in low, dining and bar heights.
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EcoSmart Fire · fire bowl
MIX 850 FIRE PIT BOWL
$2,845
33.5″ × 33.5″ × 12.6″ H · 105 lb
A weather-resistant concrete bowl with an ethanol burner. Indoor or outdoor, and it moves when you rearrange.
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Statement pieces
Italian steel and cast concrete.
AK47 Design builds fire pits as outdoor sculpture in Italy, in steel, concrete, ceramic and marble. Prism Hardscapes makes gas fire tables in glass fiber reinforced cement, a good match for a pool deck. These are the pieces to plan a terrace around.
AK47 Design · statement fire pit
ZERO Steel FIRE PIT
From $4,695
Small 39.4″ · Medium 59.1″ · Large 78.7″ diameter
Solid steel with an oxidized patina on galvanized feet, with a ring of log storage around the base. A grill kit turns it into a cooking station.
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AK47 Design · wood-burning
Tripee Fire Pit
$6,475
81.10″ × H 12.99″ · approx. 650 kg
AK47’s take on the classic tepee: a wood-burning fire pit under a tripod frame, sculptural even when it isn’t lit.
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Prism Hardscapes · gas fire table
Manchester Fire Table
$4,600
65,000 BTU · propane or natural gas
Glass fiber reinforced cement wrapped in Brazilian hardwood, with an electronic ignition switch and a stainless steel burner.
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Prism Hardscapes · round fire table
Fuego Fire Table
$8,990
54″ or 89″ diameter · propane or natural gas
A large round concrete table that seats a crowd around the flame, in five handcrafted colors.
View detailsPlanning the fire lounge
Put the fire where people already sit.
Match the height to the seating. Low tables (the Base 40 is 13.3″ high, the Cosmo 50 11.7″) belong with deep sofas. A dining-height or bar-height fire table works with chairs and stools.
Leave room to walk around it. Follow the clearance in each product’s manual, keep the flame away from umbrellas and overhangs, and keep cushions out of reach of the burner.
Think about wind. A glass screen helps on breezy coastal evenings. EcoSmart includes a toughened glass screen with the teak Gin 90.
Finish the room. Our outdoor sofas and sectionals, Harbour’s collections and Barlow Tyrie teak complete a fire lounge.
Fire feature questions
Frequently asked
Is a bioethanol fireplace safe indoors?
Use a model the manufacturer rates for indoor use, such as the Ghost or Igloo, and follow its manual for fueling, ventilation and clearances. EcoSmart describes the fuel as clean-burning, with no smoke, soot or ash.
Can I use an ethanol or gas fire on a no-burn day?
The South Coast AQMD’s winter curtailments apply to burning wood. Its rules allow gas and alcohol-fuel log sets and other designs that don’t burn wood. Check the AQMD FAQ and your local rules for your address.
How much heat does a fire table give off?
On EcoSmart’s Base 40, Cosmo 50 and Gin 90, ethanol produces up to 20,433 BTU/h, and natural gas or propane up to 65,000 BTU/h. The Prism Manchester is rated at 65,000 BTU. Gas gives noticeably more heat on a cold night.
Do I need a gas line?
Only for natural gas. Propane versions run from a tank, and ethanol needs no hookup at all. Many EcoSmart tables come in all three, so choose the fuel when you order.
Which fire feature is portable?
The Stix weighs 51 lbs and the Pop 3L 34.61 lb, and both run on ethanol indoors or out. A Mix 850 bowl is heavier, at 105 lb, but needs no hookup.
Can I see these in person?
Visit our Laguna Beach showroom, and call ahead to ask what’s on the floor.
Sources
- No-burn season and allowed fuels: South Coast AQMD, Check Before You Burn FAQ
Dimensions, fuels, heat output and ratings are from manufacturer specifications on our product pages.
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