Chimney sweeps are fireplace’s best friend

With the recent temperatures dipping unseasonably low, fireplaces and wood stoves have become a great way to provide some heat.  They can put out a lot of heat and fires also smell great, but there’s a number of safety recommendations that ought to be followed to prevent what can be a very enjoyable part of the winter from turning disastrous.  

According to Jasper fire chief Greg Van Tighem, the “most important thing” to do before getting a fire going for the first time in a season, is to make sure that your chimney is free of debris.  “There’s been cases where birds have made nests in the chimneys, or leaves or debris has gotten into the chimney, so you need some type of visual inspection, which isn’t the easiest thing to do because in most cases it may involve getting on the roof and looking down,” he said.  

A great way to prevent chimney fires from sparking – the local fire department has already responded to three over the past two months – is to have an annual cleaning performed by a professional chimney sweep.  Creosote buildup in the chimney can be very dangerous because fire traveling up a chimney can “send large volumes of flame and particle embers out of the chimney and that can go elsewhere and start another fire,” said Van Tighem. 

Drew Pearson, and wife Trish and toddler Tyler, were kind enough to invite the Fitzhugh into their home to discuss fireplace safety.  “Prevention is essential for anything,” said Pearson, a member of the Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade.  “As a first responder, the best fire is the one we never have to go to,” he said.  Chimney fires can create a very intense heat, said Pearson, and according to Van Tighem, the heat radiates into the structural members of the building, which can start a fire in an attic or void space.  

Having a young child like Tyler, is “the main reason we do it,” said the Pearsons.  They also purchased a barrier to keep Tyler from getting too close to their wood stove.  “One of our biggest concerns with having a wood stove is with him,” said Pearson. “People can get quite badly injured.”

It’s also a good idea to stack wood piles away from the house, even though it may seem inconvenient in the winter.  “If we have a wildland-urban inferface fire... we’ll literally go in and triage houses to see if we can actually try and protect them... if somebody has a big wood pile” right beside their house, said Pearson, “it will significantly affect the house’s survivability potential.”  

As far as fuel goes, never burn garbage, a lot of newspaper, charcoal or plastic, said Van Tighem, and “never use gasoline or any type of accelerant to help start the fire.”

Another thing that you should not do is place anything flammable close to the unit, like a box of newspaper or firewood.  Van Tighem also suggests to make sure that your smoke alarms are operable and that you have a carbon monoxide detector in the house.  Also, “keep a fire extinguisher close by,” he added.    

It’s also important not to leave a fire unattended or burning all night.  Keeping a clean chimney will not only help prevent fires in your home, but from spreading to surrounding homes as well, said Pearson.  Van Tighem also suggested putting a cap on your chimney.  “That helps [reduce] debris coming out” and “it also in Jasper can help keep critters out of there,” he said.  So before lighting the first fire of the season, make sure your chimney is clean.