As the weather improves, many people find themselves wanting to spend more time outdoors. Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces offer an excellent way to extend the amount of time that can be comfortably spent outdoors with family and friends.
When planning for your outdoor fireplace or fire pit, comfort and ease of access seem to top the list-but the safety of your family, home or business, and guests should be the top priority. By following a few simple suggestions, you can avoid having your latest home or business improvement project become a nightmare.
Here are a few things to consider when protecting your home and family from a fire:
Proximity to combustible materials. It is recommended that you keep any combustible materials a minimum of 10 feet away from your fireplace.
The type of fuel. Wood, gas, or charcoal are the most popular and safest fuels to use in a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Don’t use chemicals or combustibles, like lighter fluid or gasoline, to get the flames going.
Placement. Never place your fireplace on a wooden deck as hot embers can quickly ruin an evening.
Supervisionand prevention. Always supervise children and pets when a fire pit or outdoor fireplace is in use. Children easily fall and pets sometimes miscalculate their jumps. Many fire pits and fireplaces come with metal grates or curtains that can be placed on top of them–use them.
Proper disposal. Never dispose of hot ashes in a plastic waste receptacle. Instead, wait until the ashes have cooled and place them in a trash can made out of metal
Be ready. Make sure to have a garden hose, bucket of water, and/or a fire extinguisher close by when using your fireplace or fire pit.
Don’t break the law. Before installing a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, check with your local fire department see if these items are legal to use in your area. Some cities allow outdoor fireplaces only for ascetic purposes, but not for use as a heat source.
A historic home on Guyler Street in Ringgold, Tenn. caught fire earlier this week. Catoosa fire fighters quickly jumped into action and saved the home from being completely destroyed. Experts guess the fire started in the attic or on the roof, which were being renovated.
The emergency workers stated there were a lot of obstacles they had to face while trying to save the 10,000-square-foot home: wood that’s dry and old, outside wind, and carrying firefighting equipment up a flight of stairs. The attic of the home was destroyed by the flames while the first and second floors experienced water damage.
Oregon, known for its green landscapes and conservation efforts, has to battle fierce forest fires on an annual basis. To try to help with this issue, former President George W. Bush’s administration suggested thinning trees in the areas around the 102 cabins of Diamond Lake, Ore. Thinning trees around cabins would help prevent the loss of homes in the area, but tress would also be thinned in the back-country.
When is Thin too Thin?
When current Barak Obama became President, he promised to not follow through with the Bush administration’s plans to cut trees in order to save 58 million acres of forests and protect road-less areas where logs were once cut for commercial purposes.
The Associated Press reports that residents of the Diamond Lake area are more than willing to trim trees back from homes and cabins, but do not feel quite right about the thinning of trees in the back-country. They know that thinning the trees back will significantly reduce the risk of wildfires and help keep the pine beetles at bay, which have been infesting the area. The thoughts and fears of potential wildfires and the too-present pine beetle linger in the back of their minds, keeping residents on the fence about how many trees should be cut so homes can be saved.
Until the courts rule on how much trimming should be done to the trees, officials will keep protecting the forests from unlawful logging and residents will keep taking measures to protect their homes from wildfires.
October 4-10, 2009 is National Fire Prevention Week. The National Fire Protection Association is using the week to focus on fire prevention and burn awareness.
Here are the top five most interesting facts listed by the NPA for National Fire Prevention Week:
1. “Someone was injured in a home fire every 40 minutes and roughly eight people died in home fires every day during 2008.”
2. “Cooking continues to be the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries… Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires. ”
3. “Smoking materials caused one of every four home fire deaths…Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths (roughly one in four) in the United States.”
4. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.”
5. “No smoke alarms were present in 40% of the home fire deaths.”
Firefighters responded to a 2-alarm fire early Friday at the Sharp Street United Methodist Church in Baltimore County. The fire caused the roof to collapse in the sanctuary. The church suffered property damage, including damage to the 10-foot high stained glass windows. Smoke damage was obviously apparent to parishioners that visited the site to observe the damages.
The fire, which started at 3:30 am, does not have an official cause as of yet. However, officials think lightening might have started the fire. If the cause of the fire is due to a lightning strike, this will be the third time this has happened to a historical church in the last two years.
It is unsure where Sunday’s service will be held, but the Reverend Valerie Barnes is determined the service will go on, even if it has to be held outside in the parking lot. The Baltimore Sun reports the fellowship hall, where church services were once held in the past, also suffered damage from the fire.
