Chesapeake In The Know

Tis the season for a cozy fire in the fireplace! While they’re great at setting the mood of the season, even controlled fires within a fireplace can be deadly. Keep your season cozy and safe with these tips.

Every year, have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney.

Install carbon monoxide alarms and test them once a month. Do the same for your smoke alarms.

Keep anything that can burn (curtains, furniture, magazines, etc.) at least three feet away from the fireplace.

Clean out the ashes after every fire. Allow them to completely cool in the fireplace. Move them to a tightly covered METAL container. Do not use any other material as even hard plastics can catch fire from warm ashes. Submerge ashes in water and let them set, tightly covered, for several days. Be sure to keep the container at least 10 feet away from your house and other structures. When ready to dispose, drain the water, place the ashes in a plastic bag, and dispose of in your brown bin. Ashes that are not fully cooled can (and have) cause fires in our garbage trucks so please use extreme caution.