Tips for a Safe and Cozy Fireplace

The fireplace is looking mighty inviting these days as the temperatures drop. Ah, to curl up in a comfy chair in front of a warming fire with your laptop.

To make that fireplace a cozy safe place, the Fairfax County Fire Department sends along these timely tips:

• Have your chimney inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary.

• When cleaning the fireplace, store ashes in a non-combustible container with a tight fitting lid and place the container away from the house.

• Never, never leave a fireplace fire unattended. Always use a screen. Those cute little sparks can shoot anywhere.

• Make sure the fire is completely out before going to bed or leaving the house.

• Allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container (sometimes it takes four days for ashes to cool down).

• Dispose of ashes in a metal container.

• Call 911 immediately when a fire occurs. Residents should not attempt to extinguish the fire themselves.

For more seasonal fire and life safety information, please visit: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr