With cold winter weather comes an increasing risk for chimney fires.

By KATU.com Staff and News Sources

PORTLAND, Ore. - Story Published: Dec 15, 2009 at 3:53 PM PST

With cold winter weather comes an increasing risk for chimney fires.

In the past few months, the McMinnville Fire Department alone has responded to a half dozen chimney fires, "most of which started due to a lack of proper maintenance," reports McMinnville Fire Marshal Eric McMullen.

The McMinnville Fire Department and the Chimney Safety Institute of America offer the following tips for preventing chimney fires and keeping carbon monoxide out of your home:

• Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys.
• Keep the roof clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.
• Install a chimney cap. This keeps debris and animals out of the chimney.
• Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose well seasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months to one year and stored in a covered and elevated location. Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove.
• Build it right. Place firewood or fire logs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate. To start the fire, use kindling or a commercial firelighter. Never use flammable liquids.
• Keep the hearth area clear. Combustible material too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36 inches away from the hearth.
• Use a fireplace screen. Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.

McMullen recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be cleaned as soon as the soot is 1/4 of an inch thick. Brick fireplaces should be cleaned even sooner if the soot forms a glossy, rock-like substance known as glaze.

McMullen said factory-built fireplaces should be cleaned "when any appreciable buildup occurs." Even the smallest level, he said, "is considered to be enough fuel buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home."