Fireplace Safety:

• Installation
• Always follow the manufactures instructions or the most stringent code for installing a wood stove

• Clearances
  • A minimum of 36" is required from all sides and top of a wood stove, unless stated different by the manufacture
• Floor clearance
  • An installation where the floor is protected by 2" masonry placed on top of a sheet of 24 gauge steel unless state otherwise by the manufacture and approved by the local authority
• Protective apron needs to extend at least 18" beyond the base of the stove
• Stove pipe
  • 18 inch clearance minimum
  • When going through combustible materials you need a ventilated thimble and the thimble must be a minimum of 12" larger than the flue pipe, unless approved by the local authority having jurisdiction
  • Remember to install your damper near the stove to help regulate the fire
  • If you have a long vertical rise in your stove pipe it would be advisable to install a second damper normally open, that could be closed down to dampen down the fire in case of a chimney fire
• All joints of the stove pipe most be secured with screws to prevent it from coming apart
• Have the chimney inspected by the fire department or other qualified person that has the authority to approve the chimney
• Adequate ventilation
• Ensure that your house has proper ventilation for the stove per manufactures installation instructions

• Fire places
  • Do not allow things to hang from the mantle as they may catch fire
  • Make sure that safety screens or glass doors are in place at all times to prevent sparks from fling to combustibles
  • Check with your local authorities on the size of the apron in front of the fireplace
    • An apron area that is to small will allow sparks, embers or coals to fly to combustibles and ignite them
  • Make sure that you have a log rack in good condition in you fire place to ensure that logs do not roll out of your fireplace
  • Do not over load a log rack, as it will allow logs to roll out of your fire place
• Storing you wood and fuels
  • Keep your wood kindling away from sparks
  • Ensure that the fuels are at the minimum safe distance or greater allowed by your stove for combustibles (36"+) Depending on your stove
• What to burn for wood
  • Wood that has been dried for 6 months to a year is usually dry enough to burn, green or fresh cut wood allows build up of creosote and will increase your chance of a chimney fire and decrease the efficiency of your stove
    • Creosote burns very hot and can easily ignite by a spark even when the stove has just been lit
• What not to burn
  • Trash
  • Pressure treated lumber
  • Liquid fuels
• Starting the fire
  • Do not use liquid fuels, they may flash burning you or other combustibles near by or they may cause a chimney fire, anyway you look at it you may loose
  • Open the dampers enough to allow air to enter and exhaust gases to exit through the flue
  • Use a small amount of crumpled paper and small dry sticks of wood to start the fire
  • Once a draft has been started you may add larger pieces of wood
  • Use the dampers to control the fire remember the exhaust damper must be open enough to allow the exhaust to escape with out difficulty
• Handling the fire
• Use glove to handle hot stove items, such as door handles
• Use the proper tools to handle to wood and coals
• Cleaning
  • Use a metal bucket
  • You should clean your stove frequently to prevent materials from falling out of the stove as well as improve efficiency
  • Always make sure the fire is out when you clean your stove
  • Make sure that the bucket is not on or over combustible materials
  • Clean as much residue as possible from the combustion chamber, this will decrease the chances of a chimney fire as well as improve your efficiency
  • Do not over fill your bucket
  • Remove all ashes to outdoors and away from any combustible materials such as your house, leaves etc.
  • Make sure you also clean your smoke stack frequently and ensure it is reinstalled properly
• Chimney fires
  • How do I know if I might have a chimney fire
    • If you hear a roar in the area of the chimney, you may have a fire
    • If your flue pipe is glowing, red you probably have a chimney fire
    • Sparks and or flames coming from your chimney may indicate that you have a fire
    • Smoke coming into your house from openings or cracks in the wall may be a chimney fire or your house may be on fire
  • Do not assume that because the fire is in your chimney that it can not burn your house down
    • Chimney fires extend to the structure through cracks in the chimney
    • Over heat masonry radiating heat to combustibles causing them to ignite
    • Sparks and other burning debris may fall fly out of the top of your chimney and onto combustible parts of the structure
    • Some part of the smoke exhaust system failing due to the heat, such as the flue pipe, or masonry
  • If the fire has extended to the structure follow your fire evacuation plan
  • If the fire has not extended to the structure, close the dampers to the stove to reduce oxygen flow to the fire
  • Call the fire department and have them extinguish the first
• After the fire
  • You need to have the chimney cleaned and inspected
  • Have the stove and the flue pipe inspected if you have a metalbestos chimney it probably will need replacement
• Metalbestos chimneys need to be checked frequently for burn through, corrosion and structural integrity