WASHINGTON — A pair of house fires on Sunday caused by chimneys and fireplaces has a local fire safety expert advising that such fires can be prevented by taking a few precautions.
“You should have your chimney inspected annually, and cleaned if necessary,” said Pete Piringer, of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service said. “That’s something that you should look at, really, before the season gets started.”
A missing chimney brick, which might have been noticed during inspection, allowed fire to spread through a Fort Washington home on Sunday. Also on Sunday, a malfunctioning flue was responsible for a house fire in Ashburn.
“The last couple days, we’ve had a cold spell, and there’s been a number of chimney fires in the Baltimore-Washington area,” Piringer said.
Inspections can detect a number of problems that can cause fires.
“Sometimes it’s because of a malfunction of some sort with the chimney. Maybe the insert is not correct or it’s overloaded. Sometimes it’s just dirty or some other kind of maintenance issue,” Piringer said.
Piringer said it can take days for fireplace ashes to cool down completely: “Do not remove any ashes from the fireplace immediately after the fire.”
Once the ashes have cooled, Piringer’s tips for proper disposal include:
- Place them in a metal, galvanized can with a tight lid.
- Store the ashcan outside away from anything that can burn.
- Do not store the can on a porch, deck or in a garage.
When you’re using any kind of heat source, Piringer said, you need to maintain a circle of safety.
Whether it’s a fireplace, wood stove, furnace or space heater, keep combustibles away and allow plenty of space alongside and overhead.
“That also means keep an eye on the kids and the pets in the event they get too close,” Piringer warned.
