• Each year, thousands of home fires result from improperly used or poorly maintained fireplaces and woodstoves. Before lighting a fire on the first cold night of the year, have a professional chimney sweep inspect and clean your chimney. Do not skip this step! In fact, be sure to make inspection and cleaning part of your annual home maintenance schedule, particularly if you use your fireplace frequently. An obstructed chimney presents a serious fire hazard and can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. An experienced inspector/chimney sweep will be able to assess the condition of your chimney and flue, and alert you to any potential problems.
  
  
• If you don’t already have one installed, be sure to ask your inspector or chimney sweep about placing a cap at the top of your chimney to keep birds, squirrels and rainwater out. Caps also usually contain a special mesh screen, called a spark arrestor, for preventing hot embers from escaping onto your roof. Spark arrestors are required by state law, so make sure that your chimney has been fitted with one. The addition of a chimney cap and spark arrestor is imperative and should be attended to immediately. Hot embers on a roof or in a nest embedded in a flue pose an obvious safety hazard.
  
  
• While the inspector is visiting, you might also want to ask him/her to take a look at the flashing around the section where the chimney meets the roof. This is a potentially leaky area, so you will want to make sure that all is in order.
  
  
• However, do not simply rely on your inspector or chimney sweep’s yearly findings. Make a habit of keeping an eye out for fire hazards, such as tree branches hanging close to the chimney or birds' nests on or near the roof. An escaping spark from your chimney could easily connect with one of these dry items, setting off a blaze that could engulf your home.
  
  
• Finally, when operating your woodstove or fireplace, use common sense:
  
  
  • Keep flammable materials, such as rugs, blankets and newspapers away from the fire;
    
    
  • Have a fire extinguisher on hand for emergencies;