“I think there’s something primordial built into our DNA that’s just fascinated with fire,” says Mikey Van Akkeren, his face illuminated by the orange glow from the fire pit in his Riverwest backyard. Van Akkeren and his brother, John “Flan” Van Akkeren, grew up in Sheboygan, where their grandmother lived next to the beach.
In the summer, “we’d have a wiener roast almost every Friday night,” Mikey recalls, poking at the burning logs in front of him. His favorite thing about gathering around the fire is that it can lead to great storytelling, but there’s no pressure. “It’s one of the easiest social gatherings to be together but not constantly in conversation,” Mikey says. It’s OK to just be mesmerized by “the magnetic draw of the flames.”
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Getting Started
Skip accelerants like gasoline and get your fire going with rolled-up newspaper or a toilet paper tube stuffed with dryer lint. Small, dry twigs for kindling are important, but so are bigger sticks an inch or two in diameter, to get the large logs started.
Who’s in Charge?
It’s best to designate a “firemaster,” Mikey says: “You need some kind of chain of command, both for safety and to moderate the tone. Are we adding more [wood] or starting to wind down?”
Fuel (For People)
“If you’re not going to cook something over the flames, it feels like it isn’t being used,” Flan says. Let the fire die down to some red-hot coals before you start cooking. Hot dogs and s’mores on sticks are classics, but the Van Akkerens also recommend dishes like ground beef, onions and potatoes that you can wrap in foil and cook on the coals.
Smoke ’Em?
If you hate getting a face full of smoke, it might be worthwhile to invest in a smokeless pit like ones made by Solo or Breeo. These cylinders suck smoke back into the fire – at a cost of up to several hundred dollars. But for some, that campfire smell is “one of the best parts,” as Mikey says. Flan recalls something Grandma Van Akkeren often said to soothe someone fussing about the irritation: “Smoke follows beauty.”
Know the Rules
Backyard burning is allowed in Milwaukee if it’s in fire pits built of metal, concrete or brick with a cover or screen to catch embers. Fires must be at least 15 feet from any “combustible structure.”
