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Show Heating safely with wood submitted by the P.C. Fire Department Each year more Americans seek to reduce their heating bills by heating their homes with wood stoves. And each year wood stove-related fires claim more American homes. You can reduce fire hazards associated with wood stoves by taking these precautions. Installation: Have a qualified professional install your stove. If you must do it yourself, consult local building inspectors or the fire marshal for instructions. Follow their advice and the manufacturer's directions and where they dis-. agree, follow the more conservative. At the minimum, your installation should include a fireproof stoveboard to protect nearby walls; a brick platform to protect the floor; and an approved "all-fuel" chimney in- lencled lor high heat operation. Place the stove away from draperies; furniture and foot traffic. Use: Keep the fire at the right temperature with a good stovepipe thermometer. Too hot a fire can overheat pipes and start a destructive destruc-tive blaze; too cool a fire will coat pipes with flammable, corrosive residues and may cause an explosion when you open the stove door. Use the dampeis to adjust temperature: Open a window slightly when using the stove, to prevent possible carbon monoxide buildup. Use only dry' wod in a wood stove never green wood and never flammable liquids. In fact, don't even store flammable liquids in the home. Flammable liquids release vapors which can travel across a room at floor level, bo ignited by the hot stove, and engulf the room in flames in an instant! Ashes removed from the stove may remain hot enough to start a fire for 24 hours or longer. Store them only in a closed metal container for disposal. Maintenance: Inspect the stove regularly for cracked legs, faulty hinges, loose doors et cetera. Correct such conditions at once. Have the chimney cleaned, and both chimney and stove inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year. Be sure your chimney guard is in good condition so birds and squirrels don't take up residence. Common sense: If you heat with wood, it's even more important to have an ABC fire extinguisher near he stove, and a smoke detector on the hallway ceiling outside your sleeping room. |