Fireplace Maintenance Can Reduce the Risk of Fires.

You likely love to start a roaring fire in the fireplace on a cold winter day.

However, every fire in the fireplace comes with a risk of starting a house fire. Fires can even start in chimneys, and spread to the rest of your house.

Your homeowners insurance will usually help you rebuild after a fire. Yet, taking steps to prevent a fire is a homeowner’s priority.

Here are some tips to help you lower the risk of chimney fires.

• Have your chimney cleaned yearly. Ashes, tar, dust, and outdoor debris can accumulate in the chimney and fireplace. Debris can quickly become a fire if exposed to sparks.
• Burn a special log called a Creosote log in your fireplace. Creosote is a tar-like substance that accumulates in chimneys and can start fires. Creosote logs help to remove Creosote deposits and reduces the risk of fires.
• Cut trees back from your chimney. Sparks from the chimney can start outdoor fires.
• Use wire screens in front of fires to keep sparks and ashes from flying into a room and igniting furnishings.
• Never start an indoor fire using an accelerant like gasoline or kerosene. Try with newspaper. Burning cardboard or certain types of paper can also be dangerous.
• Use good wood to start a fire. Wood should be large and not round so that it is less likely to roll into your home while burning. Wood should also be dry so that it burns in a safe way.
• Keep upholstery and rugs a safe distance from the fireplace.
• Clean up all ashes after a fire. You can soak the ashes in water to reduce the risk of rekindling a flame. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• Wipe down the grate and mantle after every fire. Never wipe down your fireplace with anything other than water. Many household cleaners have flammable chemicals in them.

You can reduce your risk of a chimney fire by maintaining your chimney and fireplace. It could mean the difference between a devastating fire and a good source of heat.