As we approach colder weather, many of us on Kings Mountain are firing up (pardon the pun!) our wood burning stoves, fireplaces, and portable heaters. It can be an economical method for heating, along creating a cozy warm living atmosphere inside the house. Perfect, right? What could go wrong?
Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes. Fire departments responded to ~50,000 fires involving heating equipment each year. These fires result in over 500 deaths, 1,350 injuries, and $1 billion in direct property damage.
Heating equipment causes 14% of home fires and 19% of home fire deaths.
The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (25%) is failure to clean, principally chimneys.
Over half of the home heating fire deaths are caused by having heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.
A vast majority of home heating fire deaths involve space heaters.
Nearly half of all home heating fires occurred Dec- Feb.
General Fireplace and Wood Burning Stove Safety
- Creosote, a chemical substance that forms when wood burns, builds up in chimneys and can cause a chimney fire if not removed through regular cleaning.
- Have your chimney inspected by a professional each year and cleaned if necessary. Cracks in the flue or mortar joints can allow flames and heated gases to extend into the walls or attic of a home.
- Do not use flammable liquids to start your fire.
- Burn only clean, dry firewood. If you have fresh wood that’s wet/green, it may eventually burn, but it won’t burn efficiently. Additionally, it will produce large volumes of smoke that can fill the room, make it difficult to breathe and damage your home and furniture.
- What not to burn: garbage, plastic, and treated wood from construction. There could be lead, arsenic, and/or mercury in or on treated wood. Burning these items can release toxic fumes which can be harmful to you, your family and the environment. Never burn paper or pine needles, which can float out the chimney and ignite your roof or a neighboring home.
- Ashes need to be thoroughly dampened, cooled, and stored outside away from the building in metal cans that are used solely for ash storage, not in compost piles, garbage cans, cartons, boxes or anything else that is combustible.
Protect Your Home When Using a Wood Burning Stove Safety
- Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
- Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles, and other debris.
- Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
- Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.
- Install smoke and CO alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas.
- Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.
- Make sure your wood or pellet stove is on a non-combustible surface.
A final note: The KMFD has responded over the years to a number of fires caused by chimney cleaning logs. These logs burn at an increased temperature compared to traditional wood. While this may be efficient in breaking down built-up creosote in the chimney/vent line, it can also cause damage to the chimney and cause a chimney fire that can extend into the walls and attic.
Following these precautions should reduce your risk of chimney fires; be aware of the signs of a chimney fire and know what to do if you encounter them: a loud roar, sucking sounds, shaking pipes, hot spots on the wall or chimney, or smoke in the house. If you hear or see any of these signs, shut off the fire’s air supply, get everyone out of the house quickly and call 911.