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Whether your fireplace is used purely for the joy of having a crackling fire to sit around or serves more practical purposes such as heating your home, keep safety first and foremost.
As wonderful as fireplaces are, they can also present serious dangers to both you and your property. According to the National Fire Protection Association, up to 30% of home fires caused by heating equipment can be traced to fireplaces. That equates to millions in property damages and hundreds of lives lost each year.
Keep these fireplace do’s and don’ts in mind to stay safe this winter.
Do: Have Your Fireplace Cleaned and Inspected
Fireplace safety begins long before you build your first fire of the season. You should have your fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional chimney sweep a minimum of once per year.
As part of the inspection, be sure the chimney sweep checks the concrete cap on the top of the chimney and the chimney liner. It’s also important to check for any cracks in the firebox bricks themselves. Defects in any of these areas can increase the danger of a house fire.
Do: Build Proper Fires
A proper fire will not generate much smoke, will generate plenty of heat, and leave nothing but ash behind. It may seem simple to the uninitiated, but it takes practice. Here are a few hints to make your life a little simpler.
Do: Take Care After the Fire
There are several methods to safely extinguish a fire. Two of the most popular:
Don’t: Place Combustibles Near or Over the Fireplace
Stockings hung by the fire with care may be a Christmas tradition, but it can also be hazardous. Never place any flammable material near or over a fireplace. Heat rises and temperatures can reach the combustion point of many materials faster than you might expect.
There is also the ever-present danger of a hot cinder popping out and igniting anything it lands on. This is a greater danger when burning green, unseasoned wood. You can reduce the possibility of this happening by always using a wire mesh fireplace screen or having glass doors installed.
Don't: Leave a fire in a fireplace unattended
Even if you have glass fireplace doors, there is still the potential for mishaps if no one is watching a fire.
As wonderful as fireplaces are, they can also present serious dangers to both you and your property. According to the National Fire Protection Association, up to 30% of home fires caused by heating equipment can be traced to fireplaces. That equates to millions in property damages and hundreds of lives lost each year.
Keep these fireplace do’s and don’ts in mind to stay safe this winter.
Do: Have Your Fireplace Cleaned and Inspected
Fireplace safety begins long before you build your first fire of the season. You should have your fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional chimney sweep a minimum of once per year.
As part of the inspection, be sure the chimney sweep checks the concrete cap on the top of the chimney and the chimney liner. It’s also important to check for any cracks in the firebox bricks themselves. Defects in any of these areas can increase the danger of a house fire.
Do: Build Proper Fires
A proper fire will not generate much smoke, will generate plenty of heat, and leave nothing but ash behind. It may seem simple to the uninitiated, but it takes practice. Here are a few hints to make your life a little simpler.
- Make sure your flue is open.
- Preheat your flue before building your fire. Cold air coming down the chimney will push smoke into your home.
- Use a log grate to elevate the wood off the base of the fireplace. Fires need to breath (draft) from the bottom up.
- If possible, have a 1- to 2-inch ash bed under the fire. Ash reflects heat and will make the fire more efficient.
- Place your logs on the back of the grate to minimize the danger of them rolling out.
- Build your fire upside down. Place logs on the bottom, stack tinder on top of them and then some kindling, and add paper on top. This method generates less smoke and lowers the risk of rolling logs.
Do: Take Care After the Fire
There are several methods to safely extinguish a fire. Two of the most popular:
- Spread the embers and then extinguish them with water from a spray bottle or cover them with baking soda. With either method, be sure to watch the dead fire for several minutes to make sure it is completely out and will not reignite.
- Scoop out the remaining embers into a fireproof, sealable metal container. Then carry them outside to a safe location away from combustible materials. Do not put embers in a plastic garbage can.
Don’t: Place Combustibles Near or Over the Fireplace
Stockings hung by the fire with care may be a Christmas tradition, but it can also be hazardous. Never place any flammable material near or over a fireplace. Heat rises and temperatures can reach the combustion point of many materials faster than you might expect.
There is also the ever-present danger of a hot cinder popping out and igniting anything it lands on. This is a greater danger when burning green, unseasoned wood. You can reduce the possibility of this happening by always using a wire mesh fireplace screen or having glass doors installed.
Don't: Leave a fire in a fireplace unattended
Even if you have glass fireplace doors, there is still the potential for mishaps if no one is watching a fire.
