Wood-Burning Fireplace Safety

Wood-Burning Fireplace Safety

Winter is just around the corner for our Northern Hemisphere, and that means a roaring fire in the fireplace for many people.  Unfortunately, improper fireplace use is a major cause of house fires and fire-related injuries every year.  Thankfully, there are many free and/or low-cost preventative measures that can help keep you and your family safe from fires and injuries.  Let’s look at fireplace safety procedures.

Maintenance

One of the best and easiest ways to prevent fires is to maintain your fireplace properly.  Fires produce creosote, a substance that can coat your chimney and cause improper ventilation, so it is very important to have your fireplace and chimney inspected annually by a certified chimney sweep.  Your chimney professional will let you know of any cracks, faults, structural damage, and creosote present during an inspection, and s/he will indicate the need for a thorough cleaning as necessary.

Necessary Tools

Another way to decrease your chances of a chimney fire is to use the proper tools.  The following are necessary tools for a wood-burning fireplace:

• Chimney cap.  A cap on top of your chimney prevents animals and debris from falling into the chimney and blocking proper fire ventilation.
• Fireplace grate.  A grate keeps the correct oxygen flow beneath your fire while keeping logs from falling out of the fireplace.
• Smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.  Both detectors are necessary for your earliest warning of an improperly vented fire.
• Fire screen.  A wire-mesh fire screen is an important tool for keeping embers and ash from lighting your furniture, carpeting, or clothing on fire.
• Fireplace tools.  Always use proper fireplace tools to turn or position logs.  Using improper tools will often lead to fires.
• Fire extinguisher.  Having a fire extinguisher handy can prepare you to extinguish an out-of-control fireplace fire or a house fire.

Other Tips

In addition to using the proper tools and maintaining your fireplace, there are many other tips that can help keep you and yours safe.

• Never use gasoline or charcoal fluid to light a fire.
• Never leave the fire unattended.
• Never burn Christmas trees, rolled up newspaper, garbage, plastic, or charcoal in your fireplace.
• Never allow children to tend the fire or to get too close to the fireplace.
• Keep the glass doors and the damper open until the fire is completely out.
• Store ashes in a non-combustible, tightly closed container away from your house.
• Use seasoned firewood in your fires.
• Cut all firewood to a proper length.
• Control the size of your fire – bigger is not always better – bigger can be out of control.
• Build your fire properly.  Begin by crumpling paper and adding kindling, then open the damper fully, light the fire, and close the screen.  Always leave the glass doors open during the fire.  When the kindling is lit, add a few seasoned logs.  The fire should catch the logs momentarily, provided the logs are dry and fireplace ready.

Wood-burning fireplaces can be wonderful, warm additions to any cold fall or winter evening, but they also present many dangers when not properly used.  However, making sure maintenance, tools, and safety tips are followed can help make your fireplace fire an enjoyable experience.