Wood or electric, be safe with your heating systems

OSBURN –– Don’t want to see your holidays go up in smoke? Neither do the fire responders in Shoshone County.  

According to Shoshone County Fire District #1 Chief John Miller, his agency is dispatched numerous times each year during the holidays due to someone not following simple safety rules or properly maintaining their wood heating systems.  

During the winter months, many calls that come for electrical fires are due to people improperly running space heaters.  

“We see about the same rate of causes between wood fires and electrical heating devices,” Miller said. “Electrical can be mostly attributed to folks using extension cords or power strips for their space heaters. These devices need to be plugged directly into the wall outlet and space kept clear around the heater.”  

Maintaining wood stoves and fireplaces can be trickier, but according to Miller, the best place to start is the chimney.  

Miller explained that the most common cause of chimney fires is creosote buildup from burning wood in a wood stove or fireplace. Creosote is a flammable, tar-like residue that forms when smoke from a wood fire condenses on the inside of a chimney. 

“As creosote builds up it can block the flue and catch fire from a floating ember or the heat from a fire,” Miller said. “Chimney fires can burn through the chimney liner and spread to other parts of the home.”  

During the holidays it may seem like a good idea to put your used wrapping paper in the wood stove, but this is not a good idea. The ink on wrapping paper may give off dangerous toxins when ignited and the burning paper creates embers that could potentially ignite creosote in the chimney.  

Chimneys should be cleaned annually, but if you can’t get a professional the local fire departments have supplies to assist you.  

“Locally both departments have multiple shapes and sizes of chimney brushes available free to loan to our public,” Miller said. “We won’t clean your chimney for you, but we do offer the equipment needed for cleaning.” 

Most fires are preventable, but there are some instances where one happens without warning. Miller would like to remind people to maintain proper smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers, especially if they are using a wood stove or fireplace.  

If a fire does occur, even if you believe you put it out yourself, call 9-1-1 so that professionals can confirm that it’s out.  

“Both departments have thermal imaging cameras to look for hot spots in attics and places hard to reach or see,” Miller said.