Fire in the home can happen at any time—from a meal catching fire on the stove to smoke alarms going off in the middle of the night. Do you know what to do if that happens? More importantly, do your children know what to do?

As a chimney sweep, my main concern is the safety of my customers. After all, customers are using an appliance (their fireplace, wood stove, or wood stove insert) that operates at 700–900 degrees. More than hot enough to burn the house down. 

Here are some fire facts:

One little match can burn down a house and kill its inhabitants.

Smoke can kill you, too, so get away from it as quickly as possible. The air closest to the floor is the safest for you to breathe because smoke rises. Upstairs bedrooms are the worst places to be in case of fire.

Fire can take over a house in just a few minutes.

If a door is hot when you touch it do not open it because the fire could rush in. Go out a window instead.

When a house is on fire, people are the most important.

If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll to smother the fire.

First and foremost—get to safety fast. Second—call the fire department while simultaneously accounting for all of the people in the home. As hard as it may be, let the fire department save your pets. You are the most important to save. 

As we go into colder weather, we will spend more time inside our homes and awareness of home safety becomes more important. Statistically, more fires happen in the winter at night than at any other season or time. 

It’s a good idea to plan for at least 2 ways out of your home from every room. In the case of upstairs bedrooms, each should have an escape ladder (available in the big box stores ranging from $40–$160). Children need to know how to remove screens or push them out of the way. 

Practice! Have your children practice setting and climbing down the escape ladder. For younger children, you can go down first and coach them. Keep in mind that their familiarity with the equipment will give them more confidence, especially if an emergency occurs and for some reason you are not there. The more realistic the practice, the more it can build “muscle memory.” 

Make sure to designate a meeting place outside of the home. This way, if you are separated, everyone knows where to check in. Fire preparedness includes having an emergency pack in your vehicle including extra car keys, blankets, water, flashlights, sweaters, sleeping bags, emergency food, copies of your policies on a flash drive, etc.

Parents may want to consider using a “game approach” to make the fire drills fun for children while teaching a serious lesson. That way, if a real fire occurs, the children are less likely to be confused, freeze, or hide, because they know exactly what to do. Emphasize getting out fast. Time your fire drills and create rewards for quick times. Make practicing into family time that emphasizes the caring and love between you.

Two of the main causes of house fires are fireplaces and chimneys. They account for over 17,000 house fires per year. My expertise is in wood burning appliances. We handle them from sales and installation of new, to inspection, maintenance, and repair of old. My recommendations may include diagnosing negative house pressures to rebuilding chimney crown washes—and about everything in between.

In accordance with Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) best practices, we operate according to the National Fire Protection Association, Code 211 Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances (NFPA Code 211). It states, “Chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year…” For avid wood burners who go through more than 1 cord of wood per season, we recommend a second inspection and sweep each year.

Chimney Sweeps in Colorado are unregulated. We are a caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) state. CSIA certified sweeps have undergone a full day of testing with both open and closed book exams. The CSIA also requires that sweeps maintain continuous education training of 48 units every 3 years or retesting in order to maintain certification. You can find certified sweeps and companies at www.csia.org, www.ncsg.org, www.certifiedchimneyprofessional.org.