Don’t be so keen to light the fireplace too soon, says the Madawaska Valley Fire Department Fire Cheif.
Fire Chief Corwin Quade says since they have been used in the spring, debris can build up in your fireplace that may be a safety hazard. Things like creosote (the byproduct of burning wood), bird nests and even debris that could have flown into chimneys may possibly ignite when restarting wood-burning stoves. If the chimney is backed up with this debris, carbon monoxide can also seep into your home when a fire is lit.
Quade is urging people to get their chimney cleaned before starting any fires in wood-burning stoves or furnaces. He also wants everyone to have both working CO alarms and smoke alarms in the house as fireplaces are lit again.