Ortal FR 40x70 Front Facing

Quick Facts

• Heating Capacity: 600–1,200 sq ft
• Viewing Area: 16 7/8" wide
• Fuel: Natural gas; propane with a conversion kit.
• Controls: Remote with thermostat included; wall switch and phone app available.

Who It's For

Some walls are tall and narrow: a column between windows, the space beside built-in shelves, a bedroom wall with a door on each side. A linear fire won't fit, and a small square one looks like an afterthought. You need a fire shaped for height. If you're working with a narrow strip of wall and want the fire to read like a framed portrait, the Front Facing 40x70 is the one. Force a wide unit into that space and the wall around it disappears.

What Makes It Special

Its opening is 16 7/8 inches wide and 27 9/16 inches tall—taller than it is wide—so the flame rises like a picture in a frame. It runs on Ortal's smallest burner, which suits a bedroom, study, or sitting room.

Your stone or tile meets the fire with no trim in between, and Ortal's passive cool wall means the space above can hold a TV or a painting. Our estimate from Ortal's gas input puts its reach at roughly 600 to 1,200 square feet.

A fine protective mesh screen keeps hands off the hot glass without hiding the fire. Skip the lighting and use the screen, and batteries alone can run it—it still lights when the power is out. Set a temperature on the included remote and it holds the room there on its own.

Possible Downsides

• It's the narrowest Front Facing; if the wall can give a few more inches, the Front Facing 60x80 keeps the upright look with a 21 3/4-inch-wide opening.
• Natural gas is the factory setup; switching to propane means an Ortal conversion kit and an authorized technician.

If you need a fire for a tall, narrow wall, the Front Facing 40x70 is the right decision. The narrow wall between the windows becomes the room's focal point.

Configure it with an included log set—standard, driftwood, clay, or English—or a bonfire, campfire, aspen, or branch upgrade.