Chris Lowrey
PONTIAC Oct. 2, 2019
With the coming of the fall weather and the chilly nights ahead, many people will be turning the dial on their . . .
thermostats from “cool” to “heat,” officially signaling the start of the long trek through winter.
With residents turning to many heating methods – especially in rural Canada – it’s important to keep fire safety top of mind.
Living in a rural community usually means foregoing the convenience of a simple natural gas hookup that many city-dwellers get to enjoy.
Appropriately enough, here in the Pontiac, many people turn to wood as their primary heating source.
According to Bristol and Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield Fire Chief, Kevin Kluke, there are several things to check for before firing up the wood stove.
“Make sure your furnace is clean, make sure your chimney is clean and make sure you’re burning dry wood,” Kluke said.
He especially stressed the need to clean chimneys to make sure they’re free from any dangerous buildup.
“If you don’t check your chimney before you start, you’ll either end up burning your chimney out or having the house smoked out,” Kluke said.
In addition to ensuring the chimney is clean, Kluke also emphasized the danger of burning wet wood as opposed to dry wood.
“It’ll clog up your chimney,” he said. “It smoulders and it creates creosote in your chimney.”
Creosote buildup is one of the most common causes of chimney fires.
“Creosote is like a tar,” Kluke added. “And when it ignites it burns out your chimney and if you don’t have a really, really good chimney, you could damage it to the point of not being able to use it anymore.”
Many people turn to the so-called creosote cleaning logs with the expectation that after it’s burnt, your chimney is clean and ready to go.
But the jury is out on how effective these logs really are.
“It’s debatable,” Kluke said. “The folks who make it say it works.”
But Kluke cautions that nothing beats a good old-fashioned chimney sweep.
The actual wood oven is something that also deserves some attention before starting it up with the dropping of the mercury.
“If you’re not sure there’s plenty of help on the internet,” Kluke added.
