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FIREPLACE SAFETY TIPS
During the winter season, the heat from a fireplace offers a unique sense of warmth, and helps keep the cost of heating down. However, improper use of a fireplace can easily result in damage to house, property or loss of life.
MAINTENANCE
- DO NOT use your fireplace unless you have inspected it for good working order
- Consider hiring a professional chimney cleaner to clean and inspect your chimney before use
- Ensure there is a clear path for smoke to rise in the chimney and exit the house. Often, raccoons and birds may get trapped in the chimney and block the release of smoke. IF SMOKE CANNOT EXIT THE HOUSE, IT WILL ENTER THE HOUSE
USING YOUR FIREPLACE
- Remove ashes and debris from prior use, AFTER it has cooled
- Clean area around the fireplace to prevent ambers from igniting nearby materials
- Have pokers and other fireplace equipment ready for use.
- Have a smoke extinguisher nearby and know HOW to use it
- Have a plan for if something goes wrong
- A gate or glass door should be used to keep kids away from the fireplace
- Gases from the fireplace are toxic. Especially since windows are usually closed, and improperly functioning fireplace can result in toxic fumes, like carbon monoxide, building up in the house, leading to death. A CO DETECTOR is an excellent investment if you plan to use your fireplace.
AFTER USE
- It is safest to leave burning material in the fireplace until it has cooled COMPLETELY. Ashes are excellent at trapping heat and what may look like cool may actually be very hot.
- Never dispose of ashes near your house. Numerous fires have resulted from ashes being disposed in a garbage contained near the house, which erupts in flames spreading to the house.
- Choose a rigid container, such as a ceramic or concrete pot, and place it far from your house's sides. Use this pot to dispose of ashes after they have properly cooled.
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