These fireplace safety tips can help you stay warm and safe this season.
There are few better ways to spend a chilly evening than around your fireplace with loved ones. Before you start enjoying your fireplace, it is important to make sure you know how to stay safe while getting warm. Follow these fireplace safety tips before you throw some logs into your fireplace.
- Hire a professional to inspect and clean your chimney and fireplace. Clean chimneys and fireplaces are much less dangerous than soot and ash filled fireplaces and chimneys.
- Install a chimney cap at the top of your chimney to prevent any debris or animals from making their way into your fireplace.
- Check all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your house to ensure they are working properly. Keep a fire extinguisher near your fireplace and make sure multiple people in your household know how to use it.
- Keep the area around your fireplace clear of any flammable items and material. Before each fire, clean off the hearth.
- Clean out the ashes from previous fires before starting a new one. Store ashes in a non-combustible container, such as a metal bin until you can properly throw them away.
- Always place wood on the grate at the back of your fireplace. Keep the doors open while a fire is burning, but keep the screen closed.
- Never leave a burning fire unattended and keep the flue open until all the embers are completely burned out.
- Keep your fires small. Bigger fires can get out of control much easier and create a lot more soot and ash.
Making sure you have the right home insurance policy can help to make sure that you are protected in case of any unfortunate situation with your fireplace this season. Contact North American Underwriters for all of your homeowners insurance needs in Plainville, Bristol, Farmington, and surrounding Connecticut areas.