Got a Chimney? Here’s a Escape Plan to Stay Safe

When you have a chimney, safety should be a top priority. It’s important to keep your chimney and fireplace in working order to prevent any issues, and to talk about chimney restoration when it’s time. Make sure to schedule regular cleaning and inspections to keep it functioning well and to pinpoint any problem areas before they become major issues.

However, no matter how safe your chimney may be, accidents do happen. Should a house fire occur, it’s important to have an escape plan and to know exactly what to do.

Make sure your home is well-equipped.

Your home should have smoke detectors so that you know there’s a problem as early as possible, especially when you’re sleeping. You should also have one or more fire extinguishers in your home. Make sure the fire extinguishers are easily accessible. It’s a good idea to have at least one for each floor of your home. One of the best ways to stop a fire in its tracks and to prevent any serious injuries is early detection.

Pay close attention when cooking.

When you’re cooking, especially if you’re using the stovetop and there’s an open flame, you should always be close by and paying attention to what’s going on. Cooking fires are a major component of home fires and related injuries. Not attending your cooking can lead to a fire before you know it.

Teach your children fire safety rules.

You probably have lighters, matches and candles in your home, and they may sometimes be within reach of your kids. In addition to keeping these items out of reach, you should also talk to your children about fire safety. It’s important that they know that candles, matches and lighters are not toys and that they should never be played with. For very young children, it’s a good idea to not let them use these items at all, even if you’re nearby. You don’t want them to assume they can use them by themselves because they’ve done it before when you were around.

Schedule routine chimney services.

Book chimney services to have it cleaned and inspected once a year. Trinity Chimney Services does extensive chimney sweeps and will get rid of creosote, which is a byproduct of the burning that occurs in the chimney, and which is highly flammable. If the creosote on the walls of the chimney catches fire, it can quickly spread out into and through the home. During inspection, you may decide that chimney restoration is a good idea so that you can have a chimney that’s up-to-date and working efficiently.

It’s a great idea to have a plan that you and your family have memorized. It’s also smart to run through your plan every six months or year so that everyone stays fresh. Also remember that once you’re out of the house, stay outside! You never want to go back into a building that’s on fire or that has a fire inside.