Heavy wildfire risks delayed the project for months, but construction is finally underway on a custom corrugated pit enclosure.

Smoke is finally about to rise over our wild Melgund clays.

After a long, restless summer watching regional wildfire bans lock down open burning across the area, we’ve finally taken shovels to the dirt. Ground was broken this week on our firing pit, setting the stage for a long-delayed, high-stakes experiment with the wild earth we dug up months ago.

We’ve wanted to pit fire this local clay all summer, but heavy drought and active regional blazes kept our harvest sitting dry on the studio shelf. Now, with cooler autumn air settling in and fire restrictions easing, we’re carving out the pit, setting our windbreaks, and stacking fuel ahead of our upcoming test burn.

There’s nothing subtle about the setup. Dug straight into packed clay soil, our pit is flanked by heavy corrugated steel walls designed to block crosswinds and trap intense radiant heat. It is a world away from the easy, press-a-button control of an electric kiln. Pit firing is raw and wild, exposing our clays directly to flying ash, roaring wood fires, and sudden thermal shifts.

If the weather holds through Saturday, we’ll strike the first match, turning months of summer frustration into a blaze of fire, dirt, and long-awaited answers.