Use these tips to prevent flue fires
A
s temperatures fall and your
family spends more time around
the fireplace, it’s imperative that your
fireplace and chimney are functional,
clean, and safely exhausting smoke and
other gases. In 2011, the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission reported
24,400 fireplace
or chimney fires
that resulted
in 30 deaths,
90 injuries, and
$88 million dollars
in property loss.
that air is moving up through the
chimney. This can be tested using a
hanging tissue taped to the top front
of the fireplace and visually seeing
which way the air is moving. With a
powerful flashlight and the fireplace
poker (or similar tool), scratch the
black surface of the
smoke chamber (area
above the damper).
A shallow 1/8 inch or
smaller groove in the
creosote indicates that
cleaning is probably not
necessary. If the groove is
To make sure your
1/4 inch or greater, do not
fireplace is safe:
use the fireplace until it
has been cleaned, as this
• Use seasoned
Proper maintenance and
level creosote could ignite
firewood
cleaning can prevent fireplace
at any time. Of course,
and chimney fires.
Ensure that
if you are unsure that you
your firewood
are checking the correct place or the
is properly seasoned. Fresh cut wood
actual depth of the scratched groove,
can have 60% or more of its weight
contact a professional before using
in water, which results in the fire’s
the fireplace.
energy going to evaporate water, rather
than heat your home. Seasoning wood
• Manage creosote promptly
is easy – stack and loosely cover the
A creosote-filled chimney can be
wood, allowing air to circulate and
swept using special tools that scrape
dry the wood. A typical seasoning
the residue from the chimney
time period is 12 months.
walls and knock off any other soot
• Inspect your chimney
and dust in the chimney. This is
When burning non-seasoned wood,
a messy job that requires tarps,
a tarry substance called creosote
buckets, vacuums, and personal
will condense on the interior of the
safety equipment. We recommend
chimney. Thick multiple-inch layers
professional chimney sweeps that
of creosote can coat your chimney after
are certified, knowledgeable about
a single season, restricting the airflow
building construction methods,
and acting as a flammable fuel that
trained on deterioration and venting
can lead to chimney fires. An annual
identification, and have the tools
professional inspection is important
to do the job quickly, cleanly, and
to detect creosote buildup and other
accurately.
potential problems with your chimney.
With a safe, well-functioning fireplace
It is critical to correct any problems
and chimney, your family will be ready
before using your fireplace again.
to enjoy the upcoming cold, winter
• Inspect your fireplace
nights!
A preliminary do-it-yourself inspection
By Ben Spong, Forest Operations
is easy. Be sure to use safety goggles
Specialist, WVU Extension Service
and a disposable dust mask. Confirm
Around
Our State
West Virginia Christmas
tree growers take pride in
the high-quality trees they
produce, but customers play
a big role in assuring
trees stay fresh
throughout the
holiday season.
Here are some
tips for
maintaining
a fresh, longlasting, and
beautiful
Christmas tree:
• Select and cut your tree
from a local choose-andcut farm. Trees will begin
to dry out as soon as they
are cut. By cutting the tree
yourself, you know how
fresh it is.
• If the tree has been cut
for more than a few hours,
make a fresh cut on the
trunk just before putting
it into the tree stand.
• Water the tree every day,
making sure water covers
the bottom of the trunk.
There are now funnels that
can be hidden in the tree
and make watering easy.
• Place the tree away
from any heating
sources like
radiators,
stoves, or
air vents.
ii / Fall