A few passing clouds. Hot. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

A few passing clouds. Hot. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Hearth and Pool Services Co-owner Mark Sweeney recommends burning seasoned wood, not green wood, in fireplaces and wood stoves.

Hearth and Pool Services Co-owner Mark Sweeney recommends burning seasoned wood, not green wood, in fireplaces and wood stoves.

This National Chimney Safety Week, practicing good chimney maintenance and burning habits can help prevent dangerous flue conditions and even fires.

Colder days may be just over the horizon, but before local residents can enjoy a crackling fire in their homes, certain steps and prep work need to be done to ensure a safe experience.

In 2021, the National Fire Protection Association found the leading cause of fire in U.S. homes was heating equipment, with approximately two in five of these fires involving heating equipment using a solid fuel, like wood-burning or pellet stoves or wood-burning fireplaces.

The NFPA stated that “failure to clean equipment was the leading factor contributing to home fires involving heating equipment and accounted for a quarter of all the heating equipment fires.”

Mark Sweeney, co-owner of Hearth and Pool Services, said chimneys — or pipes for wood-burning stoves — need to be checked and regularly cleaned.

“I usually tell people it’s two or three ricks of wood before they need to have it cleaned,” said Sweeney.

A rick of wood is a 4-by-8-foot pile of firewood.

The danger in not cleaning a chimney lies in the buildup of creosote on the inside of the flue.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America describes creosote as a high combustible substance that can appear as black or brown, crusty and flaky, tar-like and sticky, or shiny and hardened. This substance thickens with each fire if not cleaned out.

Sweeney said once a chimney fire catches, it burns so incredibly hot it can even melt the mortar between bricks. He said this can eventually result in sparks coming out the top of the chimney — some “Fourth of July stuff.” These sparks can then land on the roof and catch it on fire.

To minimize the buildup of creosote, Sweeney recommends only burning “seasoned wood."

“Green wood just causes more creosote buildup,” he said.

Freshly chopped “green wood” has a high moisture content than dry, “seasoned wood.” The CSIA states firewood should have a moisture content of between 15 and 25 percent.

Sweeney said individuals should not burn trash or paper either. For those wanting to use their fireplace for the first time, he recommends having their chimney checked.

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