With Winter Comes Chimney Fires and Puffbacks in Watertown Homes

11/12/2019 (Permalink)

Chimney fires pose a severe fire risk in homes. Have yours cleaned and inspected regularly.

The wintertime brings unique challenges to homeowners in Litchfield County. SERVPRO of Southbury/Torrington responds to calls in which homes have been damaged by chimney fires, oil burner puff backs, biohazardous oil spills and space heater fires as well as water damage from rescue efforts. Help your family keep it safe from a house fire while keeping warm this winter by following these recommendations this fall.  

• Have your furnace inspected and serviced. This should be done by a qualified technician annually. 
• Have your chimney and vents cleaned and inspected by a professional. They will check for creosote buildup as well as cracks in the lining. This is the easiest way to avoid chimney fires from creosote.  
• Use dry, seasoned wood in your fireplace or wood stove to avoid creosote build up.  
• Be sure that your fireplace screen is metal or heat-tempered glass, in good condition and secure in its position in front of the fireplace.  
• Have a covered metal container ready to use to dispose cooled ashes. (The ash container should be kept at least 10 feet from the home and any nearby buildings.)  
• Instruct your children to stay at least 3 feet away from the fireplace, wood/pellet stove, oil stove or other space heaters. Place safety gates around heat sources if young children are in the home.  
•  Make certain that portable space heaters have an automatic shut-off. They should also be plugged directly into an outlet (not an extension cord) and placed at least three feet from anything that can burn such as bedding, curtains and walls.  
• Test your smoke alarms and make sure they are working. Your home should have smoke alarms on every level of the home, inside each sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area.  
• Test your carbon monoxide alarms and made sure they are working.  

The fall is the perfect time to get ready for winter. Make sure that your home is ready and safe from fire and smoke damage. If you have a home fire this winter, call SERVPRO of Southbury/Torrington at (203) 267-6262 for a quick response and home restoration built on over 30 years of training and experience.