Simple Tips For Keeping Your Fireplace Safe (And Your Toes Warm)

GOLDEN'S BRIDGE, NY — Since the very beginning of human history, mankind has had a love/hate relationship with fire; a few easy precautions can make certain hearth and home stay cozy rather than dangerous.

Golden's Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo said that a little bit of prevention can help keep tragedy from visiting your home via the chimney:

One of life’s comforts during winter is curling up with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace on a cold blustery night. But make sure your fireplace is "fire safe" before you ignite the kindling wood. That’s the advice of Chief Melillo of the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, who recommends that you create a checklist of safety tips found on the websites of organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).

"With temperatures plummeting into the teens and single digits throughout this winter, residents are using their fireplaces more often for ambiance and warmth," Melillo said. "The key is not to get careless. Never lose sight of the fact that you are igniting a fire inside your home, and although it’s in a controlled structure, you still need to be diligent when it comes to safety."

Most emergencies, he said, are due to a combination of inadequate maintenance, carelessness, and not taking proper safety measures. Chief Melillo has responded to dozens of fireplace chimney fires during his nearly 43 years of service with the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department.

"A fireplace is a home amenity that must be treated with respect. It comes with a level of responsibility — knowing what to do before you ignite the fire and when the fireplace is active, and after the fire burns out," Melillo said. "Proper operation, care, and maintenance will help keep your fireplace from becoming a fire risk. Preparation and awareness — and following a safety checklist — go a long way in safeguarding life and property.”

The Golden’s Bridge fire chief said fire safety experts and organizations offer a checklist of fireplace safety tips:

• Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned – at minimum, once annually – by a certified and insured chimney sweep.

• Replace batteries and check expiration dates of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. “Faulty burning – which can result from using wet, unseasoned wood – and poor venting of a fireplace can cause carbon monoxide poisoning,” Melillo said.

• Keep a fully charged, annually inspected fire extinguisher on hand – but in the event of a fire, always get everyone out of the house and call 9-1-1.

• Keep anything flammable away from the fireplace – experts recommend at least three feet, but preferably more.

• To properly vent the fireplace, be sure the damper/flue is open throughout the burn and until all embers are cold.

• Use dry, cured hardwoods, such as oak, maple and elm (instead of pine, spruce, cedar and other resinous and softwoods), which experts say burn cleaner and help minimize the formation of creosote – the tar-like, flaky buildup that the Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief says is often the cause of chimney fires.

• Never use a liquid fire starter to light the wood, and never burn paper.

• Have a sturdy screen on your fireplace to minimize the possibility of embers and sparks from jumping out.

• Use fireplace tools – a poker, tongs and non-flammable gloves when stoking the fire and adding logs.

• Never leave an active fire unattended, and always keep children and pets away from the fireplace.

• Never use water to extinguish a fire and wait until the ash and embers are cold before cleaning the hearth, using a brush and shovel to place the debris in a metal container stored outdoors at least 10 feet away from the house and other structures.

Fire Safety advice provided by the Golden's Bridge Fire Department. For more fire safety advice visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).