BCAA

HOT, HOT HEAT Safety precautions for interior fireplaces Where there's fire, there's heat. The glass and metal surfaces on even the slimmest of natural gas fireplaces get hot enough to result in severe burns if touched with bare hands. "There's been a big advance in safety in the last several years," says Robert Koby, co-owner of Vancouver Gas Fireplaces. "It's now mandatory that all gas fireplaces have safety screens on them." According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association of Canada, "All gas-fired, certified, fireplaces manufactured after January 1, 2015, will include a safety screen or protective barrier that must be installed." For older fireplaces, aftermarket products such as attachable safety screens provide an extra barrier between the glass and the screen. These physically prevent people from touching exposed surfaces, which can stay hot long after the fireplace is turned off. Safety gates similar to those used around swimming pools are another option, particularly for free-standing wood stoves with multiple surfaces that heat up. Other safety tips? Keep a fire extinguisher on hand, and clear areas surrounding open fireplaces of combustibles. Only burn the right type of fuel in your fireplace (firefighters sometimes have to respond to calls from homeowners who have thrown paper or logs into gas fireplaces). If you have a wood-burning fireplace, be sure to burn properly seasoned wood, says Koby. Construction scraps, for instance, might have chemicals present. Also, know how to open the flue to prevent smoke from backing up into your home, and make sure you don't dispose of the charred waste in your household garbage. Rather, leave it to cool and dispose of it separately outside the home, in a metal container. Servicing is crucial, too. Have your chimney cleaned at least once per year by a Wood Energy Transfer Technology ( WETT)-certified professional (likely required by your insurer anyway). –Janet Gyenes 30 BCA A .COM WINTER 2016 iStock fireplaces HOME

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