Wood Heat Safety in an Emergence

The ice storm of January 1998 created a heating emergency for millions of people because most heating systems need electricity to function.While many families successfully used wood burning stoves and fireplaces to heat their homes during the crisis, a few lost their homes to fire because of their inexperience or unsafe installations.A properly installed and operated wood stove or heating fireplace can be a safe and secure way to heat a home.But the use of wet wood, the use of make-shift, temporary wood stove installations, and the continuous use of decorative fireplaces, all increase the risk of a house fire.Here are some tips for using wood safely as an emergency heating fuel.

Getting the Most Out of Wet Wood

Widespread power failures can put pressure on fuel wood supplies, so many people are forced to burn unseasoned wood.The high moisture content of wet wood makes it hard to light, slow to burn, and it will release much less useful heat than dry wood.Here's how to make the best of a bad situation. * split the wood small, into pieces about 75 mm (3") in diameter; smaller pieces heat up and ignite faster* bring the wood into the house so it has a chance to warm up before being burned; brush off the snow and chip off all the ice before bringing it in * burn small, bright fires, using no more than five small sticks at a time; never load up the stove or fireplace and let it smolder * if you have some dry wood, mix it with the wet.

Tips for Safe Operation

* if you have a battery-operated smoke detector, see that it is functioning; if you don't have one, try to get one * check combustible materials around the stove or fireplace and all exposed parts of the chimney, including in the attic, for signs of overheating; wood that is too hot to touch is too hot to be safe * burn small, bright fires to make the most effective use of the fuel, while avoiding the overheating that results from burning large, intense fires * don't try to heat the whole house; concentrate all your activities in the room where the heater is and let the rest go cold; drain down your water pipes and pumps * shovel ashes into a metal container, take it outside immediately and empty it in the yard away from trees and shrubs; never put a bucket full of ashes in the basement or on a wooden porch floor, and never put ashes in a wood or cardboard box * if you can't keep the unit from smoking into the room, stop using it because you and your family could suffer carbon monoxide poisoning * if you are using a wood burning furnace, remove the blower compartment door and open the basement door; burn small, controlled fires; you'll find instructions for power failure operation in the furnace instruction manual.

Temporary Wood Stove Installations Can be Hazardous

By far the most dangerous wood stove installations are those done in a make-shift way by untrained people.While installing a wood stove may seem a simple matter, a safe installation calls for a lot of specialized knowledge.A wood stove must have a proper brick or metal chimney - never try to vent a wood stove out a window using single-wall flue pipes.Make sure the inside of the chimney flue is clear and smooth.The flue pipes that connect the stove to the chimney are often the weak link.Every joint in the flue pipe assembly MUST be fastened with three sheet metal screws to prevent it from falling down as it heats.Flue pipes need at least 450 mm (18") of clearance from combustible materials like wood and drywall.Most important, get professional help.Look in the yellow pages for hearth dealers and chimney sweeps nearest you and ask them if they are professionally trained and certified.If you cannot get professional help, don't take any chances.It would be better to leave your home than to risk the safety of your family and others staying with you.

Be Careful with Decorative Fireplaces

The fireplaces in most homes are designed for fire viewing, not for serious heating.The continuous use of such fireplaces can be dangerous, particularly if large fires are burned.Since decorative fireplaces do not capture much of the fire's heat, it is usually better to leave the glass doors open to gain the direct radiant heat from the fire.The tempered glass in many of these fireplaces block this direct radiation.Build small, brightly flaming fires to gain the most direct radiation, without overheating the fireplace structure.To reduce the amount of warm air drawn out of the house into the fireplace, close the throat damper until the unit begins to spill smoke, then open it until the smoke stops.Never leave the unit unattended. And finally, burn your stove or fireplace safely - don't risk a house fire to save your water pipes.

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