I would look at the propane faux campfire pits as a better option.
- In a lot of areas with burn prohibitions, you can still use them (check local regulations)
- Unless you have a free firewood source (and you aren't supposed to transport it anymore anyway), propane is likely going to be a good deal cheaper.
- If you just want a fire for half hour, near instant on and off with no worries about ash or hot embers.
- If you do want to cook on it, you can adjust the flow to change the heat level to your need rather than waiting for the fire/coals to get to where you want them.
If you are in an area that allows wood fire and have the hankering for the real thing, you can always pick up some firewood and have one in the fire pit the campground provides.