Our Community in Fairfax County, Virginia

Winter is here, and while portable heating appliances and fireplaces make life comfortable, they're also a major cause of home fires and other problems.  Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department hopes you will keep in mind the following safety concerns:

• Portable heaters should be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed, and should shut-off automatically if tipped over.
• Heaters should be kept in good condition with serviceable wires and dust free.
• Small children should never be left unattended in the same room with a portable heater, even for a minute.
• Keep all combustible items, including newspapers, bed linens, furniture, and draperies at least three feet away.
• Any heating appliance should be plugged directly into a wall outlet—not into an extension cord.
• Fireplaces should have a sturdy screen across the front to prevent embers from flying or logs from rolling out.
• A spark arrestor across the top of a chimney will prevent sparks from igniting your roof or your neighbors.
• Combustible items, including extra firewood, should be kept at least three feet from the fireplace opening.

• Never use gasoline, kerosene, or any other type of flammable liquid to start a fireplace fire.
• When clearing ashes from the fireplace, be sure to put them into a metal container with a lid—never into a cardboard box or paper bag.  Embers are capable of smoldering for days with disastrous results.
• The chimney should be checked by a qualified professional at least once a year—more if it's used frequently.

The use of open-flame candles can add ambience to a holiday, provide “warmth” to a home and be a source of light during power outages.  For these and other reasons, a great number of consumers are burning candles.  The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department would like to remind consumers that the improper use of candles can result in catastrophe.  To avoid the dangers of fire while burning candles, please follow the safety tips listed below:

• Never leave burning candles unattended.

vKeep all combustible materials away from open flames.

• Do not burn candles near windows or doorways.
• Place candles in glass or ceramic containers.
• Place candles on a flat, sturdy non-combustible surface.
• Never leave candles burning when children or pets are present.

Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going.  Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.

Also, replacing your regular metal damper with a top mounted damper can reduce energy costs as much as 80%.  They are also easier to operate and most brands come with a lifetime warranty.

For older homes 30 years plus, water issues or leaks can be annoying, causing damage and odors in the chimney.  This is caused by deteriorated mortar joints, cracked crowns, missing chimney caps, broken or spalling bricks, or lack of water repellant.

Bricks and mortar are very porous and water can seep through the bricks, especially during heavy rains or snow.  Treating the chimney with water repellant every 10 years is imperative to preventing this from happening.

The difference between water repellants and water sealants are that water repellants do not let new water in but it allows the bricks to dry out in the summer month.  Water sealant can seal in that moisture and can cause major problems in the winter when the moisture in the bricks freezes.

The national fire protection association recommends getting your fireplace inspected once a year and swept once for every cord of wood burned.  Contact Mitchel's at 703-492-4495 for more information.