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Clean Your Chimney

Before you light your fire for the first time this season there are steps to remember in order to keep your family safe.

OXFORD COUNTY - With this recent cold snap, homeowners might feel tempted to make use of those fireplaces, but there are a few things to check first.

Public Information Coordinator with Woodstock Fire Lisa Woods says you need to make sure everything is in good working order. "They probably should have it inspected by a professional first. Creosote does build up plus over the summer you could have animal that have built a home in there. And we may have a problem of a fire starting in the chimney itself or we may have a backup of carbon monoxide in the homes."

Woods also recommends making sure nothing has changed over the summer months. "Get up and take a look at your chimney at the top of the roof and make sure there is no blockage up there. Have a look and see if there's any black creosote building up or - use a flashlight, see if you can see from top to bottom just to make sure everything's okay."

Even when you're sure everything is ready to go, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to get the most out of your fireplace or wood burning stove. "You really should only be burning dry seasoned wood in your wood stoves and fireplaces. Any garbage or bad wood or pressure treated wood is going to create a problem within the chimney - it's going to build up and back up the carbon monoxide and potentially create a fire in the chimney itself."

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