Fireplace safety ~ Heating tragedies can be prevented
Posted by Suzanne Turner on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 06:25 AM
A dead raccoon clogging a furnace vent. Fireplace ashes in a container too close to combustibles.
The first problem can cause carbon monoxide to enter a home, killing the occupants. Sounds far fetched but it actually happpened recently in Troy, Michigan. Sadly, too, the second case also happened in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
"Improper disposal of ashes will be the cause of a good solid handful or two of fires," said the Sterling Heights Assistant Fire Chief, referring to fires within his district. In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to 62,200 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires caused 670 civilian fire deaths and $909 million in direct property damage.
A report released this year by the National Fire Protection Association said that failure to clean accounted for 60% of the confined chimney and flue fires nationally from 2003 to 2006. Officials said fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected and cleaned once a year.
"It's an appliance, just like your dryer," said Jeff Cancelosa, owner of Grey Oaks Chimney Service. "If a vent is clogged, you clean it out. With a fireplace, it's the same thing."
Chimney sweeps (yes, they still exist, though the process has changed from the familiar happy-go-lucky gents of Mary Poppins.) look for obstructions, such as animal nests, that can cause fires or block exhaust from leaving, sending carbon monoxide inside a home.
Paul Evennou, owner of King Sweep, said he urges regular removal and proper disposal of ashes. Proper is important! The Sterling Heights man put ashes from his fireplace in a metal bucket, but he put the bucket in his attached garage next to newspapers, which were next to gasoline cans. That sparked a blaze that spread to his home.
To prevent home heating fires:
- Use screens.
- Regularly remove ashes and place in tightly covered metal containers that are kept outdoors and away from combustibles.
- Burn dry hardwood, such as oak or maple, that was cut a year ago.
- Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys yearly.