The best summer nights are those spent under the stars curled around a Solo stove bonfire to keep warm, sharing sweet memories with friends and family. But at the night’s end, you must do the responsible thing and put out your fire. To prevent it from sparking and potentially causing a wildfire in the middle of the night should there be a breeze.

And if you own a solo stove, you will find it easier to handle the fire than other fire pits. So keep reading to learn how to extinguish a solo stove fire.

How long does a solo stove take to cool down?

The Solo Stove will cool down within 30-40 minutes.

Can I leave a solo stove on overnight?

No. Never leave a solo stove on overnight. Strong winds may cause sparks to fly, leading to a wildfire. The risk is too high, and you may lose your home, even be sued, or become criminally liable for reckless actions.

Can you put the solo stove out with water?

Using water to douse a bonfire will be effective, of course, but as extinguishing methods go for a Solo Stove, it is NOT recommended at all, and there are some very good reasons for this.

Pouring cold water on a hot, contained fire like the Solo Stove will cause high-temperature steam to form almost immediately, and this can scald or seriously burn people around the fire.

Another downside of using water on a fire pit is that it can create a big sloppy mess, and it could even damage the pit. For example, if the fire pit is extremely hot and you pour water onto it, it can warp the metal or damage the coating and encourage rusting.

The sudden and severe temperature change can cause the stainless steel to warp, which would damage your Solo Stove and would probably not be covered under warranty.

It is not recommended to pour water into the fire pit while in use. Water plus ashes will make a sticky mess that hardens into a paste that will block airflow in your fire pit. Instead, keep a bucket of sand handy to smother a flame if needed.

Water mixing with ash will cause ash soot, and this grimy, almost cement-like mixture can clog up the Solo Stove air vents at the base of the firepit. Ash soot can also contain moisture, exposing the Solo Stove to corrosion and rust, which you don’t want.

However, you might want to have a bucket of water handy for another reason. If you find that you’ve added more wood than you originally bargained for, you can use our Fire Pit Tools to remove burned logs and submerge them in a bucket of water.

Please only do so by exercising the utmost caution, and make sure any kids or pets are not in close vicinity when trying this out. Also, only do so with logs that are not actively burning and appear charred, as burning logs may create steam which may lead to injuries.

How to put out a solo stove

The best way to put out a solo stove fire is to let it die on its own.

To do this, stop adding fuel to the fire and spread the remaining embers around the fire pit. They will stay hot longer if they are all bunched together, but if you isolate them, they will go cold.

If you use this method, keeping an eye on the fire is still important until it is completely out.

A good fire pit spark screen can help ensure no sparks exit the pit and should always be used in areas of heightened fire danger.

There are multiple benefits to letting a fire die out:

• It will be easier to clean out
• Easier to restart next time
• You won’t potentially damage your fire pit

But if you need to put out a fire pit quickly, here are two ways to put out a solo stove fire;

Use a Fire Pit Cover

Placing something over the top of a fire pit will extinguish it as it suffocates the fire. Of course, not everyone will have something on hand to do this, but it is a preferable method.

Use a metal sheet or cover over the fire so it can’t get any oxygen and will go out. Do not do this on top of a blazing fire. Instead, wait until the fire has died down significantly, doing this will help put out the embers.

Note: the cover will also become very hot, so don’t try to lift it without protection.

Using Sand or Dirt

Piling a good helping of sand or dirt on top of the fire and embers will also put it out quickly. It’s a good method if you’ve got a campfire going at the beach or something like that. It does the same thing as suffocating the fire by now allowing it to get oxygen.

The downside of this method is that it can make a mess of your fire pit and be difficult to clean up. However, it’s unlike to damage your fire pit (as using water can), and it is another effective method of putting out a fire pit without water.

Sand can make a good bed for a fire pit fire, so you may not even need to clean it out before using it again the next time.

Note: Always consult your fire pit instruction manual as some methods may be preferable to others.

Key takeaways;

• Don’t use water to put out a Solo Stove Fire Pit
• Water will warp the stainless steel and collect in the bottom of the tip and stop it from working effectively
• Let the fire go out naturally
• Apply the Solo Stove Shield to stop sparks and ashes from leaving the fire
• Once the fire has gone out, you can put the Lid on the fire pit, which will complete the process
• Still, don’t touch the fire pit for another hour or so which is when the fire pit will be cool to touch

What do you do with a solo stove after a fire?

After your fire has gone out, check to ensure your fire pit is cool. If so, tip the fire pit upside down to empty the ashes. If you cannot tip over your fire pit, you can use a vacuum to remove the ash. Then store your fire pit in a cool, dry location.

Cover your fire pit when it’s not in use. A little moisture outside your fire pit is okay if you dry it off with a towel. However, moisture can damage the grate and ashpan inside your fire pit. Always store your solo stove in a sheltered place to keep it safe from the elements. One such option if you do not have a covered patio is Shelter.

The Shelter is made with the same material used to make whitewater rafts, and its reinforced dome top keeps water from pooling. The solo stove Lid is the perfect temporary cover option for your fire pit. Once the fire has died down (if you opted to let it die down on its own) and your fire pit is cool, top it with a solo stove lid.

When your fire has died down significantly, and only hot embers remain, the solo stove Lid can help speed up the cooling process, so you don’t have to worry about hot embers re-igniting fire in the middle of the night. In addition, once your Lid has been placed on your fire pit, you are free to step away while the embers cool down completely.

Note: You should never use Lid when there are still flames visible in the fire pit, only when red, hot embers are visible. Dump out the ashes before storing your solo stove; make it easier to use next time.

Handy Uses For Wood Ashes From Your Solo Stove

If you let your fire die out, you can use the ashes for some DIY projects around the home. Such as;

Naturally, melt ice and enhance traction

One use for wood ash from your fire pit is as a traction enhancer on icy or snow-covered surfaces. Instead of buying sand or rock salt—which can sometimes corrode concrete or metals—scattering naturally abrasive wood ash over frozen surfaces provides a cheaper high-traction alternative that takes a smaller toll on the surfaces themselves.

Additionally, because of wood ash’s dark color, spreading it across icy or snowy surfaces creates a natural form of ice melt. White snow and ice reflect much of the sun’s heat and energy, and the dark grey color of wood ash absorbs that heat, then transfers it to the snow and ice, expediting the melting process.

Enrich and balance compost

Adding wood ash to compost can increase its levels of beneficial materials like lime, potassium, and more, and ashes’ alkaline nature can offset the acidity of many compost piles. And because wood ashes do not contain nitrogen, mixing it with compost means it won’t scorch plants like some other fertilizers are known to do.

Create a natural pest repellant

Beyond enriching your compost, wood ash can be used to repel certain insects, slugs, and snails naturally. Wood ash draws water from its surroundings, which acts like salt to garden pests susceptible to dehydration. You’ll deter many common pests from denuding your garden by sprinkling a handful or two around vulnerable plants.

Use the Wood Ashes for Cleaning

You can use wood ashes as a mild abrasive to buff tarnished metals, clean dirty glass, and even remove adhesives and sticky residue. Mix the ashes with a bit of water to form a paste. Apply the paste with a cotton cloth while wearing gloves to protect your skin. Try in a small spot at first to test the results.

Make Soap at Home

The first soaps were made on homesteads by combining water and wood ash to make lye, a necessary soap component. Ashes from burned hardwoods (such as ash, hickory, or beech) are used since they contain enough potassium to produce lye.

Careful production can yield homemade soap from what you’d otherwise throw away, with more effort than it takes to buy a bottle or bar.

Fire Control

If you’ve ever “smothered a fire” at a campsite by shifting ashes over hot coals, you know that ash can form a great air-tight barrier that will help extinguish the flames.

Wood ashes can help prevent a fire when a fire extinguisher, soil, or sand is unavailable. Always extinguish a fire and ensure no embers are left smoldering as they could re-ignite. A final check for any hot spots (hover your bare hand in several spots over the wet embers) ensures you won’t have a fire re-ignite later.

Soak Up Driveway Spills

You can use wood ash to absorb the oil spills. The driveway’s dark asphalt will mask the ash’s color, and the ash’s absorbing properties should allow you to sweep up the spill afterward.

Note: These suggestions only apply if your wood ashes are uncontaminated and devoid of chemical fire starters, accelerants, or other materials.