8 Quick Tips for Fireplace Safety this Holiday Season

Posted on 13. Dec, 2010 by Admin in Purified Living

May we suggest NOT setting Santa on fire this holiday season?

As we all know, Santa gets to your home through the fireplace chimney to stuff your stockings and deliver the gifts that you asked for. He takes a quick milk’ n-cookies break before climbing back up and instructing his reindeer to the next house. He’s got a busy night!

For this reason, the Fireplace seems to be an integral part of the Christmas Tradition. We hang stockings on the chimney and often decorate the mantel as a key feature. On the cold, winter nights, we take comfort in lighting a fire and gathering around it.

Whenever you add a fire to a scene, however, you need to add an extra level of caution. House fires are more common during the holiday season than any other time of year because of improper care for fireplaces…

8 Quick Tips for Fireplace Safety this Holiday Season

• Never burn gift wrappings, boxes, cartons, or other types of packing in the fireplace. They burn too rapidly and generate far too much heat. Consider recycling those instead
• Don’t hang Christmas stockings from the mantel when the fireplace is in use. Take care to keep combustible materials such as garlands or ribbons away from any possible spark or flame
• Always use a screen in front of the fireplace to protect against flying sparks
• Never use gasoline or any other flammable liquids to start a fire. Use only seasoned and dried wood – never use Christmas trees for firewood
• Never leave the fire unattended or let it smoulder, and clean the ashes regularly. Place the ashes in a metal container and store outside away from flammable materials
• Your tree should be positioned at least four feet away from the fireplace, radiators, or other sources of heat
• Make sure your fireplace damper shuts tightly
• Build smaller, hotter fires that burn more completely and produce less smoke for fireplace safety.

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