Safety Tips for Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, and Inserts
The holiday season has officially begun, and next to setting up and decorating a Christmas tree, lighting a fire is the second-favorite holiday tradition. Wood fires during the holidays set a mood that says: comfort, warmth, family. A beautiful fire in a stove, fireplace, or insert can be the best backdrop to holiday gatherings and festivities, and help supplement heat during cold winter days and nights. It can be devastating. Make sure your fire appliance is installed by a professional and that you’re using it correctly.
Fire Safety
How you use your fireplace can help you stay safe, or put your family and home at risk. Don’t take chances. Instead, take action.
Take care of your fireplace.
Whether you have a stove, fireplace, or insert, it needs to be regularly cared for. This doesn’t only mean professional care, but ongoing care during use. Removing ashes on a regular basis will keep embers and burning logs from falling out of your fire. In addition, you should check the hinges, glass, and connections of your system as often as you check your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors (monthly).
Use it properly.
You should use the damper and other parts of the fireplace and chimney system properly. Using the damper improperly can lead to smoke being pushed into the home and carbon monoxide poisoning. It can also keep you from a warm fire this winter.
Use correct fuel.
You should only burn properly-seasoned firewood in your unit. This helps your fire burn hotter and cleaner, resulting in less dangerous creosote coating the inside of your flue, and helps your fuel last longer.
Tend to your fire.
Never leave a fire unattended. While you’re sleeping or out of the house, you should not have a fire burning in an open fireplace. The majority of house fires occur during the night–while the family is sleeping. This results in more loss of property and injury or death to family members in the home. Even during waking hours, children should never be left alone with a fire that is burning.
Install safety features.
You can decrease the likelihood of accidental burns and falls into a fire by installing a fireplace screen and glass doors. It is better to get a minor burn than a major one, and it’s far easier to treat. Keep the children safe also by using baby gates and similar devices placed appropriately.
Install detectors and alarms.
It’s important to have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed before using a fire appliance. There should be one device on each level of your home, and the batteries should be checked regularly and changed every 6 months. These devices can save your life and should never be disabled.
Set rules for your fire.
Talk with your family about who is able to tend to the fire and make sure those who can are trained in safety. Do not allow guests to your home for the holidays to mess with your fireplace. Make sure everyone knows the rules and the safe escape route in the event of a fire.
While you’re enjoying your fire this winter, make sure that everyone stays safe while staying warm. Check out these tip sheets for more information about fire safety.