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Safety Tips for Burning Wood
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| Wood stoves and fireplaces have become a very
common heat source in homes. Careful attention to safety can minimize
their fire hazard. To use them safely: |
- Never discard hot ashes inside or near the home.
Place them in a metal container outside and well away from the house.
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- Be sure the stove or fireplace is installed properly.
Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (36”) from combustible
surfaces, and proper floor support and protection.
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- Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid
construction and design, and should be UL listed.
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- Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate
any fire.
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- Keep
a glass or metal screen in front of a fireplace opening, to prevent
embers or sparks from jumping out, unwanted material from going in, and
help prevent the possibility of burns. Better yet, invest in a wood
stove or insert. It will heat your house much more efficiently than
your fireplace.
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- A wood stove should be burned hot twice a day for
15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.
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- Don’t use excessive amounts of paper to build
roaring fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the
chimney by overbuilding the fire.
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- Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire
is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A
closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic
carbon monoxide into the house.
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- If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on
the package. Never break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or
use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly, releasing
higher levels of carbon monoxide.
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- For chimney sweep information, contact the Chimney Sweep Institute of America <http://www.csia.org/>.
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- Check
out: The Alliance for Green Heat at <www.forgreenheat.org>. They
have a lot of valuable information on wood stoves. A wood stove heats
your home so much better than a fireplace!
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