As the temperature drops outside, wood and pellet stoves may be fired up inside the home. What you may not realize is that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. NFPA recommends:
- Have a QUALIFIED professional install stove, chimney connectors, and chimneys.
- Stoves should be listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
- In wood stoves, burn only DRY, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
- Have your chimney and stove INSPECTED and cleaned by a certified chimney sweep every fall just before the heating season.
- CLEAN the inside of your stove periodically using a wire brush.
- Allow ashes to COOL before disposing of them. Place ashes in a covered metal container. Keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home and other buildings.
- Keep a CLOSE EYE on children whenever a wood or pellet stove is being used. Remind them to stay at least 3 feet away from the stove.
- Stoves need SPACE. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from the stove.
- INSTALL and maintain carbon monoxide alarms (CO) outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect the CO alarms. When one sounds, they all sound.
Install and maintain smoke alarms on EVERY level of your home, outside each separate sleeping area and inside each bedroom. For the best protection, interconnect the alarms. When one sounds, they all sound. TEST all smoke alarms at least monthly
NFPA PDF Sheet Link: WoodPelletStoveSafety.ashx (nfpa.org)
