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Keeping Children Safe around the Fireplace or Wood Stove

by | Nov 18, 2016 | Fire Safety

 

Your family is probably like many others and you spend hours hanging out in front of the fireplace during the chilly winter months. You most likely also leave the room on occasion to go get something, check on dinner or complete a quick chore or two and leave your children near the fireplace alone. This might seem okay and nothing is likely to happen, but there is a chance that an accident could occur.

Here are 6 tips on how to keep your children safe around the fire:

  1. We recommend that you use a screen in front of your fireplace when a fire is burning. This screen will prevent hot embers from escaping and landing somewhere in the middle of the room or on a person.
  2. If you have small children, it is usually best to use a safety gate around the fireplace. This will keep curious hands away from the fireplace at all times.
  3. Do not store any toys or books on the hearth of the fireplace. This will prevent children from getting too close as they are reaching for something.
  4. Keep all of the fireplace tools away from children. They should be stored in a safe place and only brought out when you are in the room and using them.
  5. Teach your children that the fire is hot and that they should never go near the fireplace even when a fire is not burning. The glass doors on the fireplace can stay hot for a long time after a fire is out.
  6. The hearth is a very hard surface and many children have been injured when they have fallen on a corner. You may want to purchase some fire-resistant foam hearth guards to prevent your child from getting injured if they do happen to fall.

Accidents can happen quickly and without warning and these are tips that you can use to prevent them as much as possible. With all of these items in use, you should be able to enjoy all of the warm and cozy fires together as a family. Let us know what you think about our safety tips or give us a call at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.

Our chimney experts at Lou Curley’s Chimney service are CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) Certified. You’re sure to get the best quality care when you call us for a consultation, chimney inspection, chimney cleaning, or chimney repair.