National Fire Prevention Week

National Fire Prevention Week is about raising awareness about the dangers of home fires and helping people prevent tragedies. As winter draws near and people start dreaming about cozy nights by the fire, it’s the perfect time to talk about fire safety and how to protect you and your family during the cold season.

Each year, the NFPA focuses on different topics to help prevent home fires, and the topic for this year is lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are in nearly every chargeable device you own, from laptops and tablets to gaming systems and everything in between. While these batteries make using these devices convenient, they can be dangerous if you’re not careful.

Here are some tips offered by the NFPA to keep your batteries healthy and you and your family safe.

• Buy Listed Products When you buy a product that contains a lithium-ion battery, look for one with the seal of approval from a reputable testing lab, like UL, ETL, or CSA. This seal of approval means the device and battery have met current safety standards.
• Charge Devices Safely It’s crucial to always use the cables and chargers that came with the device from the manufacturer to charge your devices. Using cheap third-party cables and chargers can damage the battery and the device and possibly cause the battery to explode.
• Recycle the Battery Responsibly Don’t throw devices or lithium-ion batteries in the trash or use a standard recycling bin. Look for a safe battery recycling center or contact the manufacturer to see if they have any battery exchange or recycling programs.

Keep Your Fireplace and Chimney Safe

Because the cold season is right around the corner, now is a good time to take preventive measures to ensure safety and efficiency.

Every time you burn wood in the fireplace, it produces a substance called creosote. Creosote starts as a flaky powder but grows into a sticky, highly flammable coating that lines the flue walls. A chimney fire can be explosive, fast-spreading, and extremely dangerous. Even small, undetected chimney fires can cause massive structural damage and lead to bigger problems down the road.

Cracked flue liners, animal nests, and blockages are other hidden dangers that can increase the risk of smoke damage or carbon monoxide poisoning.

So, how can you protect yourself? Here are some easy tips.

Schedule a Chimney Inspection

The NFPA recommends that chimneys, fireplaces, and vents be inspected at least once a year. A certified chimney sweep can check for blockages, structural issues, and creosote buildup, and perform cleaning if needed.

Burn the Right Wood

Not all firewood is created equal. Stick to seasoned hardwood like oak or maple. These woods burn cleaner and hotter, reducing creosote buildup. Avoid burning green (unseasoned) wood, trash, or cardboard, which can release harmful chemicals and increase creosote.

Avoid Putting Too Much Wood in the Fireplace

Loading up the firebox with a lot of wood might produce a spectacular fire, but it can also burn too hot and damage the fireplace. There’s also the risk of sparks and embers spilling out and the over-production of creosote. So, while it’s natural to go for the “big burn,” you’ll be safer and more comfortable if you stick to smaller, more manageable fires.

Use a Fireplace Screen Door

This helps prevent sparks from escaping and igniting carpets or furniture. It also protects kids and pets from accidental burns.

Don’t Forget About Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The NFPA says that “the death rate per 1,000 home structure fires is approximately 60 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or none that operated.”

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives and installing them is an easy and inexpensive way to keep your family protected. Install them on every level of your home, especially near bedrooms.

Don’t Leave the Fire Unattended

You might be tempted to run to the grocery store for “just a minute” and leave the fire burning, but this could be a recipe for disaster. Never leave a fire burning while you’re away from home or when going to bed. Always extinguish it completely to be safe.

Have a happy and safe winter by calling Advanced Chimney Sweep. We’re the most reliable and experienced chimney company in South Carolina. Our highly trained technicians can check your chimney and fireplace for damage or other issues and fix them before they become dangerous.

Call us today to schedule service before winter gets here!