Fireplace Safety

Having a fire crackling when it is cold outside can feel cozy and picturesque. While you are building a fire in your fireplace, you should be sure that you understand how to keep yourself and your home safe. This winter season you should be sure that you…

• Get your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned on an annual basis.
• Always use a metal mesh screen to keep children and pets a safe distance from the fire.
• Keep your fires small to ensure they burn completely and smoke less.
• Make sure that you keep branches cleared away from chimneys, flues or vents.
• Keep the smoke alarms in your home in good working order.
• When you build your fire, keep it in the back of the fireplace.

While you are keeping your home safe you should be sure that you are aware of any fire that is burning in your home.  As a fire is burning in your home, you should make sure that there is an adult in the home and around the fire. Keeping an adult near the fire will ensure that your home is safe and that those around the fire are safe.

If you store your firewood outside, it should be at least 30 feet away from your house. When you keep the wood too close to your home it can become a hazard to your home.

This winter, make the changes that you need to make to ensure that your home is safe and ready for the fires that you are going to be burning.