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