Do you believe the hype? Last week, the New York Times published a piece on the rise of outdoor fireplaces — Family Hearth Moves to the Backyard. We love an occassional bonfire, but this seems excessive...

For example:

• Fire pits have been popular for years, especially in California and the South, where a small blaze makes it possible to relax outside on cool winter nights. What is surprising (some say foolish) is that the demand for free-standing fireplaces seems strongest in Northern states. where winters are too cold for backyard fireplaces to do any good, and summers are too hot to use them.

• They may also may be a way for busy, well-educated, well-to-do families to connect with deeper things, said Barbara Risman, chairwoman of the sociology department at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and executive officer of the Council on Contemporary Families.

It's a quick read and we know you'll have comments!

(Photograph by David Maxwell)