During the cold winter months, having a fireplace is a wonderful way to stay warm and cozy inside your home. However, it’s essential that you’re familiar with some general safety tips to help you to practice proper safety procedures around your fireplace. Even though a fireplace is a great addition to any home, it can also present an extreme fire hazard if not handled responsibly.
Only Burn Dry, Seasoned Wood.
In order to practice good fireplace safety, it’s important that you only burn dry wood. Burning green wood can produce a lot of smoke, and may also promote to dangerous creosote buildup in your chimney. Chimney buildup is the number one cause of chimney fires, so it’s best to avoid burning green wood at all costs.
Do not Hang Decorations Over the Fireplace.
Before starting a fire, it’s important to make sure that all boughs, ribbons, stockings and other decorations are removed from above the fireplace. Not all fireplaces are constructed with a mantle designed for holding decorations, and as such, may present a fire hazard. If you’re unsure about the construction of your chimney, you can always contact your local fire marshal.
Keep Your Fireplace Clean.
After every fire, thoroughly clean the fireplace of any remaining ashes, soot and embers. Be sure to dispose of any ashes appropriately, in an area where they will not be in danger of starting a fire. However, to further increase the safety of your fireplace, you can also have your chimney and fireplace cleaned on a yearly basis by a certified chimney specialist. This not only helps to reduce the danger of a chimney fire, but it also helps to keep your fireplace safe for your family as well.
Keep Hazardous Items Out of the Fireplace.
In order to avoid a dangerous situation, it’s highly recommended that you do not burn any plastics, chemicals, colored paper (including wrapping paper), flammable liquids, or other potentially hazardous materials in your fireplace. Some of these items may produce large, toxic flames that emit harmful gases into the air. In addition to this, burning an excess of paper in your fireplace can contribute to chimney fires.
Store Firewood Away from the Fireplace.
If you keep extra firewood in close proximity to your fireplace, this may present a fire hazard. Keep any extra firewood a safe distance away from the opening of the fireplace, and never stack firewood directly against the outer edge of the fireplace. If you wish, you may purchase or construct a “wood box”, in which you can store any extra firewood.
Educate Your Children About Fire Safety.
If you live in a home with small children, a very important part of keeping your family safe involves talking to your children about fireplace safety. This is especially important in young children, who need to be taught how to responsibly handle having a fireplace in your home. Explain to your children that they are not to go near the fireplace unless supervised by an adult, and make it clear that they should not burn household objects in the fireplace.
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