Fire Safety During Winter Months

1/7/2022 (Permalink)

Call us today at (812) 242-9611 when you need help getting your property back in order and looking its best.

Nothing is better during the holidays than gathering around a warm, crackling fireplace to celebrate the season with family and friends. Just make sure your fireplace is safe and holiday-ready before lighting to decrease your risk of a house fire. Make sure your chimney has been cleaned, and that your damper is operating properly and open when lighting a fire.

Clean the firebox after each fire but retain a light layer of spent ashes to create a good based for the next fire. Remember, coals can remain hot for several days. When you remove them, immediately take them out of the house and store them in a fire-safe vessel. If you have a ceiling fan in the same room as your fireplace, run it clockwise on a low speed to redirect warm air from the ceiling into the living space.

Fireplace Safety Tips

There is an art to making a good and safe fire for your loved ones. Here are some guidelines:

• Don’t overload the fireplace with wood
• Use only clean, dry wood, cured for 8-12 months
• Build the fire slowly
• Never leave a lighted fireplace unattended
• Make sure fire is extinguished before going to sleep
• Remove dry spent ashes from fireplace and store outdoors in a fire-safe vessel
• Keep any flammable materials a safe distance from the fire
• Glass doors should be kept open when a fire is lighted
• Keep a fire screen in front of fireplace
• Keep children and pets a safe distance from fires with a gate
• Place a non-flammable rug in front of the fireplace
• Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working

Chimney Cleaning and Maintenance

• When your chimney is cleaned of creosote buildup, make sure it is also checked structurally for cracks, missing mortar, loose bricks or any signs of deterioration.
• Install a wire-mesh cap over the top of your chimney to prevent birds, squirrels and debris from entering.
• Keep any tree limbs from growing near your chimney to avoid igniting.

SERVPRO of Vigo County is a locally owned and operated leader in restoration and cleaning needs. We serve local communities in the Terre Haute, Indiana, area. We have the training, equipment and expertise to handle your needs following disasters and accidents in your home and business.

We offer 24-hour emergency service and are faster to any disaster. Call us today at (812) 242-9611 when you need help getting your property back in order and looking its best. We are part of SERVPRO, a trusted leader in the restoration industry with over 1,700 franchises in the United States and Canada.