Cold weather brings with it the threat of residential house fires caused by wood stoves and fireplaces lit for the first time in the season to take the chill off. Major tragedy was avoided in two home fires last week in Anderson County, and the County’s Head Emergency Official says those should be reminders to the rest of us to think safety first as winter dawns. Anderson County Emergency Management Director, Mark Locke says there were no injuries or major damage regarding a wood stove related fire at Kincaid on Thursday and a previous one in Garnett on Monday. He says people who have wood stoves need to make sure they have been checked and cleaned before lighting them this winter.
Locke recommends having a professional chimney sweep clean your chimney at least once a year. You can also clean your chimney with a chimney sweeping log, which is infused with chemicals that break down creosote deposits, that if left unchecked can cause a flue fire.
