Tips to Keep Your Fireplace Safe for the Holidays
It sometimes seems as if the fireplace was created to gather near during the holidays and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends. Thinking about fireplaces during the holidays invokes images of crackling fires and drinking hot chocolate while recounting stories in front of the hearth. Still, there is something vital you should consider for holiday gatherings around the fireplace: safety. Read on for a few helpful tips to keep your fireplace safe for the holidays.
Inspect the Batteries in Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors for the Holiday Season
Every year, without fail, replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A dead alarm offers no warning if an ember leaps from the hearth onto a rug or a dry Christmas tree. Fresh batteries help ensure your family stays safe from both fire and toxic gases.
If you don’t have these detectors, buy and install them right away. Position each unit about fifteen feet from the fireplace—close enough to sense real danger, yet far enough to avoid false alarms from ordinary wood smoke.
Service Your Chimney Before Holiday Gatherings
Just as you replace detector batteries each year, have your chimney swept before the holiday season begins; your family’s safety may depend on it. Many homeowners aren’t aware that every fire in their hearth leaves behind creosote—a sticky, highly flammable tar that clings to the flue walls. Left undisturbed, it will thicken and become a fire hazard. Creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires across the United States and Canada. A single visit from a qualified, reputable chimney sweep service removes the danger and virtually eliminates the risk of a devastating chimney fire.
Put a Screen in Front of Your Fireplace for Holiday Gatherings
As we noted earlier, a single blazing ember can shoot from the fire and ignite a rug or a dry Christmas tree in moments. Keep furniture, drapes, and holiday decorations at least three feet from the hearth; even that distance offers no guarantee if a spark lands on flammable material. The surest safeguard is simple: fit a sturdy mesh screen across the fireplace opening. It will trap every escaping ember before harm is done and, at the same time, prevent curious hands or paws (or stray wrapping paper) from tumbling into the flames.
Don’t Place Anything but Wood in Your Fireplace
Resist the urge to treat your fireplace as a holiday incinerator. Never burn a Christmas tree indoors; its dry needles and resin can turn the hearth into a blowtorch in seconds. Burning gift wrap is equally reckless: the lightweight paper rises on hot updrafts, floats out of the firebox, and can ignite curtains, upholstery, or the tree itself before you can react.
Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy
The risks we’ve described make one precaution a must: keep a fire extinguisher in the same room as your fireplace. A new fire extinguisher (rated for Class A fires) can stop a small blaze before it spreads. If yours is old, outdated, or the gauge reads low, replace it at once. A few seconds and a few dollars now can spare you a catastrophe later on.
In Short
While these fireplace safety tips work for the holidays, they also apply year-round. So, to ensure you have a festive holiday season, heed these helpful safety tips.
Dubuque Fireplace and Patio Will Get Your Chimney Ready for the Holidays
If you want to ensure that your chimney is ready and safe for the holidays, get in touch with us today. One of our knowledgeable staff members will be happy to discuss having your chimney swept.
