Fireplace Safety & Tips

Below is a list of general rules and safety tips to live by when dealing with your fireplace. By following these tips you will make your home a safer place for you and your family.

• Make sure the chimney damper is open to let smoke escape.
• Remove all combustible material, such as baskets, decorations, kindling, firewood, etc., from the vicinity of your fireplace or wood stove, keeping all such items at least 36" away.
• Use a fireplace screen that is large enough to cover the fireplace opening for spark protection completely. A fireplace screen will also help to keep children and pets safely away from the fire.
• Use a heavy-duty grate, and stack the fire to avoid logs rolling out of the fireplace during burning use.
• Have fireproof gloves, a tool set, and a covered ash bucket on the hearth ready for use.
• Never use gas or flammable materials to "freshen up" a fire.
• Test your smoke detectors, and install fresh batteries.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector in public areas on each floor of your home, such as hallways.
• Never burn colored paper such as magazines or wrapping paper.
• Don't burn plastics
• Never burn painted, stained, or treated wood - the fumes are poisonous!
• Don't use your fireplace as an incinerator to burn pizza boxes, Christmas trees, or stacks of paper or cardboard.
• Don't leave the fireplace unattended while wood is burning.
• Keep the top of your woodpile covered; wet wood is harder to light, creates more smoke, and makes your chimney dirty!