Fireplace, Chimney, and Carbon Monoxide Safety: What Homeowners Should Review Before Winter

Heating equipment caused an estimated 37,365 U.S. home fires a year from 2020 to 2024, and nearly half of them (46%) happened from December through February. The weeks before winter are a practical time to give your fireplace and chimney a close look, while nothing is burning and nobody is waiting on a warm room.

These fireplace safety tips cover what to review before the cold arrives: when to schedule a chimney safety inspection, a fireplace maintenance checklist you can work through yourself, habits worth keeping every time you light a fire, and carbon monoxide safety steps for the fuel-burning equipment in your home.

How Often Should You Schedule a Chimney Safety Inspection?

At least once a year, ideally before heating season starts. A chimney safety inspection looks at what you can’t judge from the living room: blockages, damage, and creosote, a residue that forms when wood burns and builds up inside the chimney.

Failure to clean is a leading factor in home heating fires, and creosote in chimneys is a major part of that. A blocked chimney carries a second risk, because debris can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside your home. Gas fireplaces and other vented heating equipment need the same yearly service from a trained technician.

The National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 211 lays out three levels of inspection:

• Level 1: For a chimney used the same way, with the same appliance. A technician checks the readily accessible parts of the chimney and appliance connection, the basic soundness of the structure and flue, and whether anything is blocking the chimney or building up inside it.
• Level 2: For when something changes, such as the fuel type, a relined flue or a replaced appliance. It also applies when a property is sold or transferred, and after a chimney fire, building fire or weather event that may have caused damage. It adds a video scan of the flue liners and a look at accessible attics, crawl spaces and basements.
• Level 3: For when a Level 1 or Level 2 inspection points to a hidden hazard. It can involve removing parts of the chimney or building to reach concealed areas.

If you recently bought a home with a fireplace, the sale itself is one reason to ask about a Level 2 inspection. A technician can also tell you whether chimney cleaning before winter makes sense.

Fireplace Maintenance Checklist: What to Review Before the First Fire

A professional inspection addresses areas you cannot safely check yourself, including the chimney flue. These checks cover what you can see yourself, and most take only a few minutes.

• Look for visible warning signs. Rust or water streaks on the vent or chimney, loose masonry, loose or disconnected vent connections, and soot or debris falling from the chimney or fireplace all call for a professional’s attention before the first fire.
• Test the damper. It should open fully. An open damper may help keep poisonous gases from building up in your home.
• Check the screen. A sturdy metal or glass screen helps keep sparks and embers out of the room.
• Clear the area. Keep anything that can burn, including furniture, curtains, bedding and kindling, at least three feet from the fireplace. Hold kids and pets to the same boundary.
• Choose dry, seasoned wood. Softwood may need at least six months to dry, while hardwood often requires 12 months or more. Use a moisture meter to check that the wood’s moisture content is below 20%. Never burn trash or treated wood.

Winter Fireplace Safety Tips

Once the fireplace checks out, a few habits carry you through the season.

• Check the damper. For a traditional wood-burning fireplace, make sure the damper opens fully before lighting a fire. Keep it open until the fire is completely out and the ashes have cooled. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for other fireplace types.
• Use safe fire-starting materials. Start with dry kindling. Gasoline, kerosene, and charcoal starter don’t belong anywhere near a fireplace.
• Stay with it. Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure it is completely out before you go to bed or leave the house.
• Handle ashes with care. Allow ashes to cool, place them in a tightly covered metal container and pour water on them. Store the container outdoors, at least 10 feet from your home and other buildings. Never put ashes directly into a trash can.

Carbon Monoxide Safety: Alarms, Symptoms and Fuel-Burning Equipment

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas produced any time fuel burns, including in fireplaces, furnaces, gas ranges, and portable generators. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year in the U.S., more than 400 people die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, and more than 100,000 visit an emergency department.

A few steps may lower the risk:

• Alarms on every level. Install battery-operated or battery backup CO alarms on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas. Interconnected alarms are preferred because when one sounds, they all do.
• Test and replace on schedule. Replace CO alarms following the manufacturer’s instructions, and smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
• Service fuel-burning equipment. Have your furnace, water heater and any other gas, oil or coal-burning appliances serviced by a trained technician every year.
• Respond to gas odors. If you smell gas near a gas heater or fireplace, don’t light it. Leave the home right away and call the fire department or your gas company.

Know the symptoms, too. Headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion are the most common, and they are often mistaken for the flu. People who are asleep can be seriously harmed before they notice any symptoms. If an alarm sounds, get everyone outside right away, call 911, and stay out until responders say it’s safe to go back in.

Key Takeaways: Fireplace and Chimney Safety Checks

• Schedule a chimney safety inspection every year before heating season, with a deeper level when something changes or the home changes hands.
• Run the fireplace maintenance checklist: visible warning signs, damper, screen, three feet of clearance and seasoned wood.
• Open the damper, stay with the fire and let ashes cool in a lidded metal container stored at least 10 feet from your home.
• Put CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas, and test and replace them on schedule.
• Service fuel-burning equipment every year, and never heat with an oven or run a generator indoors.

Final Thoughts: Fireplace Safety Tips Before Winter

Most of this can be tackled in a weekend, plus a phone call to schedule the inspection. Make that call first, because the inspection can surface repairs that need to happen before the first fire in your fireplace.

The rest mostly comes down to habit: a clear space around the hearth, a damper that opens, alarms that work, and other good fire safety habits. Check your equipment manufacturer’s instructions and local codes for details that apply to your home, and bring in a certified professional for anything beyond the basics.