Stay fire safe this winter

It is that time of year again when everyone starts thinking about Christmas, hot chocolate, chili and fireplaces. When it gets cold, thousands of people along 280 start a fire with expectations it will give them hours of warmth and enjoyment. However, way too often, they find big red trucks out in front of their house because something went wrong, which makes this time of year one of the busiest for us. Taking your fireplace for granted and assuming it is ready for a fire can be scary, dangerous and expensive.

Dozens of times in the fall and winter we get calls on reported chimney fires and smoke in residences due to neglected fireplaces. I hear the same old stories year after year: “it was ok last year,” “I have never had a problem,” and the one phrase we hate to hear, “we went to bed and awakened to the house on fire.”  Most of the time these situations can be avoided.

Properly dispose of fireplace ashes. Believe it or not, improperly disposing of the fireplace ashes causes us more problems than chimney fires. Ashes from the firebox can stay hot and still cause a fire for up to three days. Placing them in trash cans or dumpsters, bags or boxes on your deck or dumping them in the woods near your house will cause a fire hours after the fire is out in your fireplace.

The best method is to place the ashes in a metal container with a lid and let the ashes sit for several days before disposing of them. Be cautious using a natural fiber broom or vacuum to clean out the fireplace because ashes will hide and you will find the fire later.

Open the damper. The most common smoking problem with a fireplace occurs when an embarrassed homeowner starts a fire in the fireplace and forgets to open the damper or the damper is not fully open and falls shut. This can cause a flurry of activity around the house as smoke pours into the room, starting with yelling kids and the wife dialing 911 as smoke detectors are sounding. Large smoke fans from the fire department can get the smoke out of your home but cannot cure a red face.

Have your fireplace inspected annually. Fireplaces should be inspected each year to make sure they are ready for use. They may or may not need to be cleaned every year, but it is critical that the condition of the system be checked for maintenance, blockages, cracks or any other issues that may arise during the off season.

If you just moved into an apartment, condo or new home, you need to have it inspected before use by a certified chimney sweep company. However, call them early because October and November are their busy season and you can have up to a two- to four-week wait. Contact the Better Business Bureau and your city government for business license to verify any business prior to calling them. Don’t forget to ask the sweep for a copy of the company’s insurance policy or at least the name of their agent as well. All these things will help to make sure you have a good experience with a good chimney sweep company

Clear the area around your fireplace. One of the most picture-perfect scenes of Christmas is a tree near the fireplace with stockings hanging from the mantle and presents on the hearth surrounded by pinecones. This is not a good situation if you have a fire in the fireplace. Sparks can shoot out of a firebox for several feet. Items should be kept away from the fireplace at least six feet from the opening. Using spark screens or glass doors will help with the sparks but are not foolproof.

Clean your gutters. Keeping leaves cleaned out of your gutters and valleys of your roof will help to avoid sparks from your fireplace igniting the tinder material on the roof.

Only allow adults to play with fire. Only adults should start fires and add wood to the fireplace. Children always want to help, but it is safer for adults.  Cooking, roasting marshmallows and popping corn should be reserved for an outside campfire.

The best way to avoid problems with your fireplace is to keep these helpful hints in mind during the cold months of the year.