Keeping the baby bonfires burning has big impact for pair of dads

Remember summer bonfires? The stacks of wood turned to ash flying through the air as the fires burned for hours. Loads of fun, for sure, unless you are the person in charge of the fuel, the safety or the cleanup. The effort required means they are self-limiting – you just can’t have a bonfire every night.

That’s where dads Michael Opalski and Chris McCasland come in. Opalski is a Clemson University graduate who was working in restaurant equipment in 2020. McCasland, his Maryland neighbor, was involved in ticketing for venues, sporting events and concerts.

“When the pandemic started, my business partner, Chris and I, both our industries were impacted,” Opalski said.

In fact, both saw their business “dry up instantly” as the world shut down.

“Chris and I live across the street from each other and had been ‘hey, neighbor’ friends,” Opalski said. “Everybody was kind of podding up and trying to figure out ways to survive. You know, we have a lot more respect for teachers after experiencing having our children at home.”

The two families became a COVID pod, essentially locking down except for their interactions, allowing their children to play together.

“We were doing fire pits with the kids because the kids wanted s'mores,” Opalski said. “It was really fun, and the kids loved it, but they were done in four or five minutes. They get their marshmallows warm, they put the chocolate on the cookie, and they're gone. And Chris and I were stuck there multiple times for like an hour and a half to let the wood burn down. We hung out and it was cool, but we were like there's got to be a more efficient way.”

The pair began experimenting with ways to create a portable, easy-to-use and – maybe highest on their list – easy-to-extinguish bonfire, a mini-firepit of sorts. They started with cookie tins and then tried tuna cans. They finally hit on a prototype that did exactly what they wanted and City Bonfires was born. Importing components was out of the question during the height of the pandemic, so they sourced wax, metal and inserts locally.

“We bought 500 cans and we made them,” Opalski said. “We were doing it in his garage. We bought these converted crock pots that people on Etsy put nozzles in. We were melting the wax in real little batches at that point.”

The first batch of 500 sold quickly, as did the next. The dads knew they were on to something special.

“What's going on here? Like is this going to be like that kind of like two guys in a garage, American dream-style story,” Opalski said after the quick sales. “And here we are, almost three years later with a warehouse, forklift, staff. We get stuff by truckloads.”

It truly is a family affair. Opalski’s daughter helped design the logo. Both families worked together in McCasland’s garage when the business started. McCasland’s father now works as part of the team.

“It really has all the notes of family business,” Opalski said.

City Bonfires are sold online and now in stores, including Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply and others. The kits are made from soy wax in a container that is “overwicked,” according to Opalski, to create the bonfire effect. Whether you are done in two hours or two minutes, it can be extinguished just by putting on the lid.

“You get three to five hours of burn time per City Bonfire,” Opalski said. “It doesn't matter how many times you start and stop it in that time. What's cool about it is if you're walking down to the beach or to the lake or to someone's backyard, if you just want to use it for a second, then it's out. My sister uses it on her front porch. My buddy who lives in Greenville uses them on his back porch all the time. It's fun watching people enjoy it. And it's fun having involvement in the creation of a product that is bringing joy.”

Learn more at citybonfires.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Keeping the baby bonfires burning has big impact for pair of dads