National Chimney Safety Week 2018

We are celebrating National Chimney Safety Week September 30th – October 6th!

Each year during the last week of September, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) runs its biggest promotion – National Chimney Safety Week.

Each year, over 22,000 chimney fires occur in the U.S. costing over 125 million dollars in property damages. The point of National Chimney Safety Week is to reduce the number of these unwanted chimney fires by educating homeowners, chimney experts, home inspectors, and other safety specialists about the latest trends in fire safety and prevention.

In honor of National Chimney Safety Week 2018, we’ve put together a list of chimney fire facts and statistics, as well as chimney fire prevention tips below, so you can put our best methods and practices to use to ensure your safety while lighting a fire in your home:

Chimney Fires Facts and Statistics:

• A majority of chimney fires go undetected
• Chimney fires can reach up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit
• The main cause of chimney fires is the buildup of creosote inside the chimney
• Once a fire ignites within a chimney, it most likely will happen again if no further measures are taken
• Signs of a chimney fire include cracks in flue tiles or masonry, discolored chimney cap, warped metal of the damper, creosote flakes, etc

Chimney Fire Prevention Tips:

• Use only seasoned wood, as unseasoned wood is wet and leads to more creosote buildup
• Never burn anything other than seasoned firewood. Cardboard boxes, trash, dryer lint, plastic, and wrapping paper are materials that don’t belong in your fireplace!
• Keep your fireplace clean
• Never start a fire on top of a bed of ash or coals left from a previous fire
• Install a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector in your home
• Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis by a CSIA-certified professional chimney sweep

Chimney Inspection and Cleaning is KEY in Preventing Chimney Fires

We can’t stress this enough! The only tried and true way to prevent chimney fires is to hire a professional chimney sweep like Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration to perform an inspection and cleaning. This is not a DIY job. Your chimney and fireplace should be left in the hands of a professional who knows what they’re doing. A certified chimney sweep is regularly tested on their understanding of the complexities of chimney, fireplace, and venting systems. They have the experience, skills, knowledge, and tools to remove all of the hazardous and flammable materials from your chimney. They can also determine if any necessary repairs should be made and may have other recommendations for you depending on their findings.

All year round, we aim to promote the importance of fire safety and annual chimney inspections. However, National Chimney Safety Week gives industry professionals a chance to come together to promote a greater awareness to the general public.

Winter is almost here, and we want your family to enjoy their winter fires safely! Contact us today to schedule your pre-winter chimney inspection and cleaning!

And to learn more about National Chimney Safety Week, visit the CSIA’s website!