A Message from the Fire Prevention Branch

Wood-burning and pellet stoves

1. Have a qualified professional install stoves, chimney connectors, and chimneys following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Wood stoves should be listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
3. In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. Not only is it cleaner for the environment, it also creates less buildup in the chimney.
4. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
5. Start the fire with newspaper, kindling, or fire starters. Never use a flammable liquid, such as lighter fluid, kerosene, or gasoline, to start a fire. They produce invisible vapors that can easily catch fire.
6. Keep the doors of your wood stove closed unless loading or stoking the live fire.
7. Allow ashes to cool before disposing of them. Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet (3 metres) away from the home and any other nearby buildings. Never empty the ash directly into a trash can. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.
8. Chimneys and vents need to be cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year.

Fireplaces

1. Always use a metal or heat- tempered glass screen on a fireplace and keep it in place. Gas fireplace doors can reach excessive temperatures of 1300 degrees Fahrenheit (705 degrees Celsius). Serious burn injuries from hot glass can happen in less than one second. Install a screen barrier.
2. Burn only dry, seasoned wood. Never burn trash in the fireplace. Not only is it cleaner for the environment, it also creates less buildup in the chimney.
3. Use artificial fire logs according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Never burn more than one log at a time.
4. Use only newspaper and kindling wood or fire starters to start a fire. Never use flammable liquids, such as lighter fluid, kerosene, or gasoline, to start a fire. They produce invisible vapors that can easily catch fire.
5. Chimneys and vents need to be cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year.
6. Keep children and pets away from the outside vents. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from the fireplace. Glass doors and screens can remain dangerously hot for several hours after the fire goes out.
7. Closely supervise young children around fireplaces and use safety gates.
8. Make sure fireplace “on” switches and remote controls are out of the reach of children.