How do you keep your fireplace safe?

With regular visual inspections, both inside your home and out, now is the time to make sure your Fireplace Safety Factsheet is in good shape for the burning season.

 

THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL ASSIST IN KEEPING YOU SAFE  AND ENSURE THAT YOUR FIREPLACE IS WORKING PROPERLY

 

  • Ensure the chimney outlet is equipped with an approved spark arrestor. A spark arrestor prevents hot embers from leaving the chimney and landing on roofs or adjacent property.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher close by.
  • Never leave the fire unattended.
  • Never burn trash, plastics or flammable liquids.
  • Have the chimney and fireplace inspected and cleaned every year by a certified chimney sweep.
  • Make sure your fireplace is designed for the wood you are burning. Don’t burn wood in a unit designed for gas logs.
  • Keep decorations and furniture at least three feet away.
  • Always use a fireplace screen.
  • Don’t overload the fireplace with too much wood.
  • Make sure the damper is open before lighting the fire.

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Did you know… that half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February?

HOLIDAY FIRE SAFETY CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY & FIRE PROTECTION With regular visual inspections, both inside your home and out, now is the time to make sure your fireplace is in good shape for the burning season.

How do you keep your fireplace safe?

The best tools you have are your eyes. Fireplace Safety Factsheet If built properly, fireplaces are dependable and safe to use. Fireplaces wear over a period of years and need to be maintained to extend their life. There are two types of fireplaces, masonry and metal insert.

A masonry fireplace is built with bricks and mortar and have a metal or clay flue liner. They are designed to burn various types of wood and may also be equipped with gas logs. A metal insert firebox is made at a factory and installed as a unit within the framing of the home. A metal flue is also put into place and runs through the roof or exterior wall of the home.

Many of these fireplaces are designed solely for gas logs and not intended to burn any solid fuel such as wood.