Shawn Butz of Clean Sweep chimney service in St. Paris inspects the inside of a wall chimney after disconnecting it from the pipe leading to a wood stove. (Citizen photo by Brenda Burns)
Avoid a winter tragedy: Keep homes warm for holidays while protecting against fire risks
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series of stories about avoiding house fires during the busy holidays and home heating season.
As more and more people turn to alternative home heating sources in the face of rising fuel and natural gas costs, local chimney sweep professionals warn that too many don't think about the risks of burning wood and other materials.
"Most people do not call me until they have a problem," said Gary Upton, who operates A-1 Chimney Service from his home near Springhills. "I believe with the rising price of heating oil this year, more people will burn wood, though."
Shawn Butz, of Clean Sweep near St. Paris, concurred.
"I've seen a lot of first-time burners this year," said Butz, who has been a professional chimney sweep almost six years. "This time of the season, it's hard to find a chimney sweep that's not busy."
Because the occupation relies so much on seasonal work, many professional chimney sweeps have alternate employment as well, Butz said.
"The best time to get a chimney cleaned is in the spring, after the heating season is over," Upton said. "Acids in soot will eat away at chimneys. If it sits there all summer, it can do some substantial damage by the time fall rolls around."
Upton said the National Fire Protection Association standards call for chimneys to be inspected annually, but cleaning intervals should be determined by the frequency of use for a stove or fireplace, he added.
"I have some customers who clean them twice a year and some who get it done every two years," he said. "It all depends on how much they use the appliance."
Butz said his best tip to customers, other than to have their chimneys maintained at regular intervals, is to use seasoned firewood that has been cut and dried at least a year to prevent build-up of creosote, a highly flammable substance that collects in chimney flues.
"Wet wood creates more creosote and a lot of people use skids and pallets, which are the worst because they are made from pine," Butz said. Christmas tree branches and needles should also not be used for fireplace materials, he added.
At the holiday season, chimney sweeps are called in to clean up messes created when people unwittingly attempt to burn other combustible materials, Butz said.
"I run into everything from cardboard boxes to wrapping paper," Butz said. "People just don't know that it's really bad for their chimney."
Besides burning improper materials, burning at lower temperatures allows more creosote to form inside the flue, so it's a bad idea to restrict the damper opening at night in order to make the fire last longer. "Cleaning logs" impregnated with chemicals can help loosen creosote and soot in the flue, but are not a safe substitute for a physical cleaning by a professional.
Another risk from traditional furnaces and other fuel-burning appliances is carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that is a byproduct of burning.
Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning or other illnesses and can have a long-term health risk if left unattended. Symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, headaches and dizziness. High levels of CO can be fatal within minutes of exposure.
Prevention is a key factor to avoiding exposure. In addition to having chimneys, fireplaces and other fuel-burning appliances inspected and cleaned regularly, purchase of a carbon monoxide detector for every floor of a home is recommended. Some combination models include a dual CO and smoke detector.
According to statistics provided by the Ohio Department of Commerce, which oversees the Ohio State Fire Marshal's office, there have been 12 residential fires related to home heating appliances in Champaign County since 2001, with a combined dollar loss of more than $24,000. No deaths or injuries related to home heating fires were reported the past six years in Champaign County, compared to 56 injuries and 10 deaths statewide in 2006 from 1,612 home heating fires.
How to buy firewood
The Ohio Department of Agriculture offers the following tips for purchasing firewood.
Ohio law requires firewood dealers to sell non-packaged firewood by the cord or by fractions of a cord. Bulk firewood can be purchased by weight, in ton measurements, if it is weighed on a certified scale. Law prohibits any other unit of measurement such as rick, rack, face cord or truckload. "Truckload" portions vary from dealer to dealer and can be misleading to consumers, who often buy wood in order to cut their heating bills.
Consumers can avoid ambiguous measurements by purchasing wood by the cord, half-cord or quarter-cord. A cord is 128 cubic feet. When a cord is properly stacked, it should be as large as a stack that is 8 feet long by 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. Consumers should contact the seller immediately if they do not receive the quantity purchased.
Buyers should understand basic firewood terms and rules to ensure they receive what was advertised. If firewood is sold as "seasoned," then it must have moisture content lower than 50 percent. Unseasoned wood produces only two-thirds of the heat of seasoned wood. In addition, if a seller claims the wood is a specific type, the delivered load must contain at least 90 percent of that species.
Before moving firewood this winter, homeowners should be aware of the state's Emerald Ash Borer quarantine, restricting the movement of firewood in 34 counties. Firewood often is home to invasive insects and diseases and is a major contributor to the spread of these destructive pests. As a result, the department has quarantined areas of the state to limit the movement of infested firewood. Violators of the quarantine can face fines up to $4,000. For a list of Ohio's quarantined counties, go to www.ohioagriculture.gov/eab or call (888) OHIO-EAB.
The agriculture department and 90 local weights and measures jurisdictions are responsible for enforcing Ohio's laws regulating firewood sales. If a problem occurs with a firewood sale, and the seller will not correct the problem, consumers can contact the department's Division of Weights and Measures at (800) 282-1955 or the local weights and measures inspector in the Champaign County's auditor's office, 484-1600.
Breanne Parcels can be reached at bparcels@urbanacitizen.com
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