Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — Winter weather is just around the corner, and with the cold Ohio weather will come the need to heat area homes. In rural areas such as Knox County, heating is the leading cause of home fires.

Each year in Knox County firefighters respond to fires that start in chimneys and wood stoves. The fires destroy homes, and are usually 100 percent preventable.

Lt. David Miller of the Central Ohio Joint Fire District said his department deals with chimney fires all winter.

“Between November through February, we see a significant rise in chimney-related incidents, as many as one a week,” he said.

With the rising cost of fuel and home heating costs, more homeowners are turning to wood stoves, space heaters, portable radiators and other alternative heat sources to supplement or completely heat their homes.

According to a National Fire Protection Association 2008 Fire Prevention Week survey, 79 percent of Americans are concerned about the rising cost of heating their homes and 48 percent of households will use an alternative heating source to cut their heating bills this winter.

All of these devices require special safety precautions unique to their use. The NFPA reports that space heaters account for 73 percent of home heating fire deaths.

Chris Menapace, Mount Vernon Fire Department assistant chief, said if residents are using portable space heaters, they need to be vigilant about keeping newspapers, clutter, clothing and any other combustibles a safe distance away from the heaters at all times.

The NFPA suggests at least 3 feet around a space heater in every direction should be kept completely clear.

Menapace also said residents should only use space heaters that have a safety option that automatically shuts them off if they are knocked over. He said this is especially important when they are used in bedrooms.

When using a wood stove or fireplace in the home, safety should be considered from installation to everyday use.

“They need to be installed properly,” explained Menapace. “I really believe professionals should install HVAC because so many things can go wrong. All it takes is one small oversight.”

Joe Porter, Central Ohio Joint Fire District chief, said homeowners using wood-burning stoves for whole-house heat can lead to safety hazards.

“Using wood burners not designed to heat an entire house for that purpose is dangerous,” he said. “Then you’re using it for more than it’s designed for.”

Porter added that do-it-yourselfers need to follow building codes when installing wood stoves themselves.

“Sometimes people think they’re doing a good thing, but they need to look at those codes when they’re putting it in,” Porter said. “We as consumers have a responsibility to be aware of those codes, too.”

Ensuring that wood stoves are installed a proper distance from the wall, with the correct amount of heat insulation, is vital. Capt. Chris Willis of the Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District said it was import to follow these safety procedures.

“Make sure you have the proper clearance away from the wall and proper insulation,” he said.

Although space heaters cause the most fire deaths, many more heating fires start in chimneys. The NFPA reports lack of maintenance causes 78 percent of these fires.

The buildup of creosote in a chimney is the primary cause of chimney fires. Creosote is a tar-like residue made up of the unburned carbon materials present in wood. The build-up of creosote clogs part of the chimney and heats to a high temperature when the stove is in use.

“Eventually it can catch fire, and that’s when we get a chimney fire,” said Miller.

Porter said that the logs sold to burn in fireplaces to clean creosote from chimneys are not a replacement for regular maintenance and cleaning by a professional.

Last year, the COJFD responded to a house fire believed to have been started when a homeowner tried to clean a build-up of creosote from her chimney using these logs in her wood stove. The creosote ignited and burned the chimney and damaged a room in the home.

Wood stove and fireplace chimneys need to be inspected and professionally cleaned at least once a year, according to Menapace.

While every home should be equipped with smoke detectors, in rural areas where wood stove and chimney fires are more common, smoke detectors are found less often. According to the NFPA, working smoke detectors were present in only 27 percent of rural residential fires.

Willis explained that carbon monoxide detectors are also important, especially this time of year because of the chance of deadly carbon monoxide build-up from faulty heating equipment.

Firefighters who respond to preventable heating fires which cause major property damage and have the potential to injure and kill residents, say preventive maintenance and an awareness of fire safety could keep the residents of Knox County safer this winter.

“We’ve seen a lot of fires with wood burners,” said Fredericktown Assistant Fire Chief Larry Schunke. “Please have your wood burners checked, your chimneys and your pipes checked and cleaned. Please be careful burning wood this winter.”