Fire Prevention Week Tips for Your Chimney & Fireplace
This year’s Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, is scheduled for October 5-11. The theme is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.”
It’s a time for professionals and homeowners alike to remind themselves that fires can happen at any time and to learn about ways to prevent it.
Chimney Solutions of Indianapolis, IN, would like to share five helpful tips for using your chimney and fireplace in ways that can reduce the chance of a tragic chimney fire.
Creosote is the problem
The majority of the chimney fires reported in the State of Indiana and the rest of the U.S. each year start with ignited creosote. This highly flammable substance forms when fireplace smoke condenses in a chimney flue.
The goal is to keep your chimney as free from creosote as possible.
- Annual chimney sweeping
The first step toward a clean chimney is scheduling annual chimney sweeping. This process uses a variety of brushes, scrubbers, vacuums, and solvents to safely remove built-up creosote from the surfaces of chimney liners.
Yearly chimney sweeping is recommended by the National Fire Protection Association and most other agencies that focus on preventing fires in our homes and workplaces.
- Create less smoke
Less smoke equals less creosote, so you want to remember to burn only dry firewood in your fireplace. Damp, unseasoned wood creates a lot of smoke that will turn into creosote. Dry firewood is minimally smoky and burns much more efficiently.
- Don’t use accelerants
Not only do accelerants generate excess smoke, but they also produce dangerous gases that can spread throughout your home. Never use kerosene, lighter fluid, charcoal starter, gasoline, or any other accelerants to get fires started. Matches or a fireplace lighter is all you need.
- Have your chimney inspected
Chimney fires happen more often than people think, but most of them start and go out before being noticed. If your chimney liner has gaps or splits in it, even the briefest of fires can send flames into contact with adjacent materials of your home.
An annual chimney inspection should include a thorough inspection of the condition of the chimney liner.
- Report problems as soon as you notice them
Many chimney troubles can be prevented by immediately reporting issues to your chimney service company. Report anything that looks odd or is operating differently from how it normally does so it can be checked out. You may not know what’s causing the problem, but your chimney technician will.
About the National Fire Protection Association
NFPA is a leading fire-prevention organization that has developed upwards of 300 codes and standards affecting a wide range of parts, equipment and processes that work with or around fire.
The organization officially began in 1896 and has grown to include dedicated volunteers throughout America with the goal of reducing devastating fires in our homes and workplaces.
With its numerous certification, educational and training programs, NFPA stands at the forefront of fire safety in the U.S. today. Fire Prevention Week is one of its most important annual events.
Is it time to have your chimney serviced?
Chimney Solutions is ready to help you keep your chimney safer and more efficient. Call us in the greater Indianapolis, IN, area for chimney sweeping, licensed chimney inspections and expert chimney repair services. Speak with a chimney professional by phone or through our contact form.
