Traditional wood fireplaces and stoves remain a common method for people throughout rural areas to keep warm during the cold winter months, said Sundre's fire chief.
“We live where we live!” Marty Butts told the Round Up last week.
There are even people who rely on stoves or fireplaces as an important supplemental source of heat to keep their homes comfortably acclimatized during deep freezes, he said.
“Sometimes, they (chimneys) get neglected, which can cause problems as we know.”
There are a number of steps to keep in mind when doing proper maintenance of wood stoves and fireplaces to ensure safety. Perhaps not as commonly known is the importance of carefully disposing of the accumulation of ashes, he said.
“I've seen many fires started simply from people emptying out (the ashes).”
The fire chief cautioned against using a vacuum cleaner to deal with the buildup of ashes as the machine could potentially catch on fire. Depending on when the last fire was burned, those ashes can remain hot — and therefore potentially dangerous — for a long time. Instead, Butts recommends sweeping the ashes into a large tin can or small metal bucket.
But that's not the end of it.
“Many people take that bucket and leave it on the deck. Believe it or not, I've seen many houses' decks and walls catch fire” as a result of leaving a container with hot ashes, he said.
“Have a place to dump it that's safe.”
That could potentially be out in the snow a safe distance from any structures, or perhaps even in a burning pit or barrel, he said.
“Don't just put it (a container with ashes) outside and think it's good — it stays hot for many hours. It's pretty important to dispose of your ashes safely.”
The Sundre Fire Department has over the years responded to such incidents, and the fire chief urges residents never to assume the ashes in their stove or fireplace are cold and safe to vacuum or dispose of near any structure.
Of course there's far more to fireplace and wood stove maintenance than occasionally emptying out the buildup of ashes.
“At least have them cleaned yearly,” he said, adding those who cannot do it themselves should be able to find in the directory a contractor to do the job.
Additionally, people should make sure they're burning good, dry lumber — not wet, green or rotted timber, let alone any kind of treated or painted wood. Doing so not only creates more acrid, less-than-pleasant smoke, but it also smoulders more than clean wood, resulting in a faster accumulation of soot in the chimney or smokestack, he said.
Although there had as of last week not been any chimney fires reported yet this season, the fire chief said such calls are not unheard of.
“We always get a few every year.”
While such fires are sometimes put out fairly easily, there are worst-case scenarios when the blaze manages to breach the chimney's walls, spreading into the roof or house “and away it goes,” he said.
Despite some of the inherent hazards of fireplaces and stoves, the fire chief said that properly looked after and kept safe, they are actually his personal preference.
“There's nothing like a wood fireplace. It's natural.”
But like just about anything else involved with home ownership, they require maintenance.
“Don't forget your chimneys!”
