As cool weather and warm firelight bring us together after the early sunset, don’t forget to make fire safety a priority.
Ensure you have a charged, working fire extinguisher easily at hand on each level of your home and in any garage, workshop or outdoor gathering area you use. Everyone in your household should know how to operate the fire extinguisher so there is no lost time if it is needed.
When it comes to wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and firepits, House Logic provides some rules to live by. For example, burn only dry, cured wood—logs that have dried for eight to 12 months. Newly hewn wood and construction debris are not suitable; they may spit embers, release toxic gas or coat your chimney with flammable material. Add wood as your fire needs it instead of building a tall blaze that can get out of control. And make sure your chimney, flue or firepit is in good shape before your first use of the season. Clogs, cracks and creosote buildup can lead to dangerous problems and threats to your property and health.
Keep flammable materials far from fires and their embers. Install a working carbon monoxide monitor and smoke detector, and check their function this season by running a test according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
