Fireplace Safety

People who lived earlier this century remember the common occurrence of chimney fires.

Many children died from burns - from fireplaces as well as ranges and the hot water that had to be carried from room to room; if you are going to use a fireplace for a coal or wood fire, take these precautions:

make sure the chimney is not capped or blocked in some way; light a taper or use a smoke pellet to check that smoke is drawn up the chimney; open a window first to increase the draught
have the chimney swept, preferably before, once during and again at the end of the winter; the unburnt deposits of tar and carbon are flammable and also reduce the draught. As a minimum, have it swept at the end of the winter to remove the new soot.
if you are in any doubt about the maintenance of the chimney, have it checked internally and above the roof; if a chimney has been damp for a long period, the acids in old soot can eat into the mortar in the flue and, in the worst cases, allow fumes into other rooms and an adjacent house. A stained or, when a fire is established, a hot chimney breast is an indication that the mortar is in poor condition.
you must have a fireproof hearth; this may be tiled or stone
you should use a fender, to catch any embers that pop out of the fire
if you are burning wood, a fine mesh guard is recommended to catch cinders
if you have children, invest in a wrap-around guard that fixes to the wall either side