Are you using your fireplace correctly?

Are you using your fireplace correctly? Here are some safety tips to follow this winter

Whatever their purpose, fireplaces should be used with care.

Photo courtesy Dreamstime/TNS

By Vivienne Aguilar Modest Bee

Fireplaces might be an aesthetic, a comfort or a necessity for people during the winter months. Whatever their purpose, they should be used with care, and the Modesto Fire Department already has seen a few fires that could have been prevented.

On Dec. 20, the Fire Department was called to an address in Salida because smoke was seen coming from the attic of a home. Battalion Chief Ed Bartley said the residents had a fire going in a decorative fireplace for a prolonged period of time. This caused heat to build up in the aluminum insulated chimney so it burned through the flue.

The residents have a metal chimney, not stone or hardened casing as can be found in wood-burning stoves, so keeping fires lit for long periods of time is not recommended, Bartley said. Determining how long a fire should stay lit depends on many factors, like the design, age and maintenance of the fireplace, he said.

“Sometimes depends on the wood you’re burning — Duraflame is fine because they have elements that clean while burning. Oak burns hotter, things like that,” Bartley said. “If you’re adhering to the burn days, you’re probably not going to have an issue.”

On Christmas Day, a house fire was reported. The Fire Department said in an incident summary that smoke was the main issue, but no fire extended into the attic or got caught in the chimney flue.

Here’s what you’re expected to be aware of when using your fireplace this year:

What kind of fireplace do I have?

You most likely have a traditional brick fireplace or a zero-clearance fireplace, said Deputy Chief Darin Jesberg. Traditional fireplaces are safer for open burning with wood, he said. These usually have stone chimneys. Zero-clearance fireplaces are newer, dating back to the 1980s and 90s, and are made only for small fires and do not absorb a lot of heat. The chimneys on these models tend to be aluminum or metal and used for aesthetic purposes.

“So a lot of times what happens is people build fires in the zero-clearance type fireplaces, and over time they’ll get charring on the chimney flue that goes up through a wooden box chimney, “ Jesberg said. Fireplace fires can be caused when the newer models aren’t maintained and residents continue to burn big, hot fires.

How do I clean my fireplace?

Based on your use, make sure you maintain the fireplace area by removing the ashes and periodically disposing of them appropriately, making sure that they’re fully out, Jesberg said. If needed, add water to the bucket to cool them down completely.

National Fire Protection Agency recommends keeping the ashes in a tightly covered metal container at least 10 feet away from your home.

If you have no experience cleaning or maintaining a fireplace, don’t try to do it yourself. Call a professional chimney sweep company, Jesberg said.

Chimney cleaning companies should be certified