Safe Fire Tips

How to Keep Your Fire in the Hearth and Out of the Rest of the House

Say the words "fireplace safety" to the average person and you’re not likely to get much of a response. The first image that might jump to mind is a Victorian-era waif, covered with soot at the end of a hard day’s chimney sweeping. But these days, all you need to give yourself a little bit of peace of mind before starting a fire are some quick fire safety tips.

Fire safety can be broken down into a series of easy-to-do steps. Follow these five commandments, and you’ll be burning in style all year long.

1. Clean your chimney at the beginning of every burning season.
Many things can accumulate in a chimney in addition to the creosote: birds’ nests, leaves, even dead animals. These can clog the flow of smoke and create backup. Cleaning your chimney at the start of the burning season can give you peace of mind.

2. Make sure the flue is open and drawing air before you build any fire.
Many people neglect to check their flue before starting to burn. Be certain to open the flue. You can make sure your chimney is drawing air by lighting the end of a piece of paper. If the smoke rises rapidly up the chimney, go ahead and light your fire.

3. Never use lighter fluid to start a hearth fire.
Lighter fluid is for charcoal grills. Fire Starters are for fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. It is extermely hazardous to use a combustible liquid indoors.

4. Use a screen to protect adjacent floors and furniture.
As a fire burns, embers will make a characteristic popping sound as moisture is released from the wood. Most of these will be drawn up the chimney. Some of them, however, can wind up being ejected from the fireplace. If there is no firescreen in place, their eventual landing place could be your carpets or your drapes. Make sure you have a sturdy mesh or glass screen in place.

5. Never leave a burning fire behind.
An overeager child or housepet, a particularly adventurous ember, even a very strong gust of wind -- all of these can wreak havoc on your fire safety efforts. If you’re around while the fire is burning, these things are all easily dealt with.  Some quick fire safety tips: Don’t start a fire twenty minutes before going to bed and don’t ever turn your back on one that’s burning in your house!

For additional fireplace safety tips please refer to the following sites:
http://www.HPBA.org
http://www.hpba.org/fileadmin/factsheets/product/FS_FireplaceSafety.pdf