Fireplace Safety During the Holidays

Think about your ideal Christmas scene. It likely includes a sparkling tree with presents underneath, your family snuggled together on the couch, and a warm fire crackling in the fireplace. We can almost guarantee it does not include an accidental fire from unsafe elements and the arrival of an entire crew of firemen followed by potential damage to your beautiful Christmas celebration. Fireplace safety during the holidays is extremely important. Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe.

Hang your stockings with care

That picture-perfect Christmas image usually includes stockings full of goodies adorning the mantle. Unfortunately, this can be a safety hazard. Specifically, if there are less than three feet between your stockings and your burning fire, a spark could escape and quickly lead to a quickly burning fire.

To be as safe as possible, we’d advise you to find an alternate location for your stockings. At the very least, you will want to remove them from the mantle before lighting a fire. This three-foot rule extends to your tree, presents, and some of your decorative holiday pieces as well. Give your fire space to keep your family safe.

Use fire-resistant decor

Now to be clear, we aren’t saying that you should leave your fireplace and mantle empty this season. After all, we know it is typically the focal point of a room, especially during the holiday season!

Rather, we encourage each of our Northeastern Chimney customers to choose decor that is labeled fire-resistant to safely decorate your room. This doesn’t mean these won’t catch fire if placed too close but that they are less likely to accidentally ignite. The three-foot rule and other safety measures should still be practiced.

Tree safety

Another item that should be a safe distance from your fireplace is your tree. If you choose an artificial tree, ensure it is labeled as fire-resistant. If you have a real tree, keep it watered regularly as the heat from your fireplace will dry your tree out faster. In addition, if you’re using a real tree, even your Christmas lights can slowly dry it out. This is yet another reason to keep it fully watered all season long.

Consider a spark guard

If you have an open hearth, adding a spark guard is another excellent safety decision. This will help keep loose sparks and embers from entering your home. You can buy simple guards that can be left in place all year or look for ones that are Christmas-themed to add to your festive decor.

Ring in the holidays with fireplace safety

One last tip, keep a fire extinguisher handy! As we all know, we can do everything to prepare but fires can quickly get out of control. In addition, a chimney full of creosote can spark quickly, so if you don’t know the last time your chimney was cleaned and/or inspected, give us a call.

This post first appeared on https://www.mychimney.com