Noun
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
Source: WordNetThere were periods when I sometimes made fires in a large, open fireplace that lasted about two weeks, which was how long it took to burn my compositions. So there has been an awful lot that I have destroyed. Alan Hovhaness
the fireplace was so large you could walk inside it Source: Internet
he laid a fire in the hearth and lit it Source: Internet
the hearth was black with the charcoal of many fires Source: Internet