I’m writing in agreement with the recent letter complaining about the use of fire pits in Portland (“Fire pits aren’t very neighborly,” July 22).

It baffles me why they are permitted in such a densely populated city with many older wooden structures. This is especially true on the peninsula. In addition to the irritation of the smoke from someone else’s wood fire blowing into my windows and disturbing my sleep, there is the danger of errant sparks traveling as well.

While I’m aware there are some rules regarding fire pits, the only way to enforce them seems to be to call the Fire Department and let them speak to the party burning the fire. This is work that I’m sure our Portland firefighters would prefer to skip.

Wisely, Portland outlawed consumer fireworks in 2011. It’s time to do the same with fire pits.

Kate Reilly
Portland