A dozen tips on what to do and what to avoid doing to build a fire easily and safely in your fireplace: Do have a chimney sweep inspect and clean your flue annually. Do make sure your fireplace damper is open before you light a fire. See How to Open the Damper. Do use a […]
Over 85 percent of homes in America have at least one smoke alarm. But one in three smoke alarms is not functioning! The goal of Fire Prevention Week 2014 (October 5-11) is to make it easy to remember to test your smoke alarms each month. Simply download the Test Your Smoke Alarm Every Month Calendar. […]
Birds that perch on open chimney flues have a tendency to leave behind unwelcome calling cards: disease-bearing bird droppings in chimney or fireplace. Whether those droppings fall all the way to the floor of your fireplace or remain stuck to the inside walls of your chimney, that bird poop (and any disease-causing spores or bacteria […]
Do-It-Yourself Gas Fireplace Safety Tests Before you turn on your gas fireplace for the first fire of the season, have it serviced by a certified chimney sweep or other gas product professional certified to work with gas fireplaces. You will need a professional who knows the relevant regulations of your local jurisdiction. There are some […]
Use the Christmas Fireplace Safety Checklist below to keep your family safe around the fireplace during the winter holidays. Are your Christmas stockings hung on the fireplace mantel with care? In the famous Christmas poem, the stockings were not just “hung by the chimney;” they were hung “with care.” Even in the midst of describing […]
Using Wax Fire Logs with Care Although sawdust and wax composition fake fire logs offer convenience, if not properly used, they can create safety hazards. Do not break apart wax fire logs. When poked or broken apart, artificial fire logs can cause a flare-up (sudden increase in burn rate) and possibly even an explosion and chimney […]
Smoke detectors can save lives, but they cannot change their own batteries. Failure to safely replace and and dispose of 9 volt smoke alarm batteries can result in a house fire. Having smoke alarms in the house is not enough – they must be functioning smoke alarms to do their job. Although 95% of Americans report having […]
Anyone who has bees or wasps in their chimney knows they are not the best of house guests. One of the ways they can enter your home is through the chimney. Newly swarming bees looking for a place to call home can be discouraged from relocating to your chimney by your lighting a fire in […]
Do you have a squirrel in the fireplace? Hear a squirrel in your chimney? Step by step, here’s how to get the squirrel out and keep both your home and the squirrel safe. How to Get the Squirrel in the Fireplace Out of the House Step One – Squirrel Containment: Close the glass fireplace […]
