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There are few things more enjoyable that lighting a wood fire in a stove or fireplace, filling your home with warmth and comfort. But, at the same time, lighting a fire does pose a safety risk. So, how can you be sure that you’re safely enjoying warming the hearth in your property? Netatmo has a few tips for you to bear in mind, so you can keep that cosy fire blazing at a reduced risk to your home.
Let’s start by seeing what you think about the fire in your home. There might be some fire safety points that you’ve never even thought of! So, here goes…
If you’ve answered with any combination that includes c, d or e, carry on reading for further safety tips that you’ll want to bear in mind to keep your home safe!
Whether you’re using the fire to keep your home warm, or merely for decorative effect, you need to keep an eye on what type of logs you’re burning.
The wood needs to be untreated, dry and only from certain tree species that are suitable for the purpose. There are several reasons for these wood specifications, so we’ll take a closer look at them here.
Attempting to start a fire with wet or damp logs and kindling will create a lot of smoke. This could create a safety hazard within the home, affecting air quality and potentially triggering asthma attacks or other difficulties for members of the family who have breathing problems.
Plus, large quantities of smoke billowing through your home will be likely to damage the interior of your property. So, make sure that you only burn dry logs.
The same goes for ensuring you use untreated wood in your home fires: burn treated wood, and you may well release unsafe fumes. So, it’s best to use only untreated wood as fuel.
Finally, you’ll need to make sure that you’re burning wood from tree species that are suitable for use in the home. Several factors come into this: for example, some wood burns with more smoke that others and you should also select tree species that can guarantee a sustainable supply of firewood.
Follow these simple steps to enjoy fires without emitting excessive amounts of smoke or creating an unnecessary hazard.
It’s incredibly important to install a smoke detector in your home: they’re a legal requirement in the UK. Even if you don’t have a wood burning stove or fireplace in your home, the detector will help prevent any cooking-related hazards, too.
Regularly cleaning your flue, stove, chimney and fireplace is vital if you want to continue enjoying your fires safely.
As well as ensuring that you use a fireguard and burn the recommended type of fuel, you’ll need to regularly clean all the components of your set-up.
Having your chimney swept regularly will help ensure that you can safely set your fires, as well as reducing the smoke that will be emitted.
So, those are the home fire safety basics. Choose your wood – and any other fire fuel – wisely, keep your flue, chimney, stove or fireplace clean and ensure you keep your home smoke-free, to prevent damage to the property and keep its residents safe.
Then, you can carry on enjoying those cosy home fires for years to come!
Concerned about the risk posed by your stove or fireplace? Looking to protect your home from potential fires? Check out the Netatmo Smart Smoke Detector today and increase your home’s protection from fire.