Fire damage is one of the leading causes of insurance loss in this country, and as a fire restoration company, we encounter far too many fires that occurred due to negligence. The kitchen is the most common area where most fires originate from, and a close second is fireplaces. This article will discuss some of the most common mistakes that people make with their home fireplaces. Also, we will raise awareness about what you can do to keep your fireplace burning safely this winter.
1. The first thing to think about when it comes to fireplace safety tips is the flue. The flue is the shaft of a chimney. It leads the smoke up and out of your home. There is a metal piece called a dampener within the flue, and this flat piece of metal can be tilted sideways and laid flat. When it lays flat, it seals your chimney from the outside, and when it is tilted sideways, it allows the smoke from the burning fireplace to rise safely out of your home. If the dampener is left closed or if any debris congests the flue, it could be a significant fire hazard and possibly even life-threatening to you and your family! The first thing you need to do before using your fireplace for the first time this winter season is to have it checked by a professional. Make sure your flue and dampener are in working order and clear of any obstruction. Nothing ruins a cozy winter snuggle session by the fire with cocoa and marshmallows like suffocating to death on smoke because you forgot to have your chimney serviced this year!
2. Considering you had your chimney, flue, and dampener recently and adequately serviced. Let's move on to how you can burn a safe fire within your beautiful fireplace. You have to burn good clean wood, and if you try and burn wet wood, it can lead to creosote buildup and can fill your fireplace and the room you are in with smoke. It won't matter how clean your flue is or how wide open your dampener is. Even when you are burning the right kind of wood, dry, aged, clean wood, you have to make sure that you do not have a lot of ash sitting at the bottom of your fireplace. Fires draw oxygen from the bottom, and if a heavy layer of ash is choking the fire, it will eventually fill the room with smoke.
3. The last and most important fireplace safety tip is two-fold. Educate the occupants of your household, especially small children, about the dangers of the fireplace and how careful they must be around it. Most importantly, never leave an open flame unattended. As a fire restoration company, we see this all the time. Fire is not a joke, and it claims the lives of too many Americans every year, and the majority of those tragic losses probably could have been prevented.
If you need fire restoration services in Columbus, Ohio, call AllPhase Restoration at 614-261-0000.