Follow these tips for a safe, fire-free winter

In 2014, heating was the cause of 40 percent of the structure fires in Alaska. Two out of every 5 fires in Alaska were caused by heat sources, ranging from fireplaces to oil stoves to furnaces, according to data released by the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office in a report called “Fire in Alaska 2014.” According to that same report, the most common heat sources in residential fires resulted from human acts of intention, error, or carelessness - not operational malfunction.

Well, it’s getting that time of year for chimney fires to be on the rise again due to continued use from a winter that has been very cold of recent, with temperatures getting into the double digits below zero for weeks on end. On average, December has 50% more residential structures fires than any other month of the year. It’s time for everybody out there to check their chimneys, and to be prepared for an emergency.

* Only burn seasoned or dried out wood – wood that is completely dry will sound hollow when hit against another piece of wood, it will be dark in color and may have cracks in the ends. A full year is recommended to completely season wood.

* Start fires with clean newspaper or dry kindling – gasoline or kerosene should never be used to start a fire.

* Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper or your Christmas tree.

* Keep combustibles away from the fireplace and chimney - never attach anything to the chimney, and never allow any part of your house to touch the chimney. Where it goes through the wall should have a thimble around it, and make sure that no building material touches the chimney at all. Follow installation guidelines from the manufacturer.

* Burn large logs, rather than many smaller logs when possible.

* Get regular chimney inspections and cleanings to remove the excess creosote from the chimney walls and ensure safe burning. Once annually if you only use your fireplace lightly, twice per year if you use it heavily or use green woods or spruce logs.

If you have a chimney fire, evacuate the house and call 9-1-1 immediately. It is an emergency. You can read online about how to fight it without calling 9-1-1, but is your property worth the risk? A chimney fire can spread from the chimney into your attic space in less than 5 minutes. It can spread to the entire house in under 10 minutes. Every minute that you delay calling 9-1-1 is a minute later that the fire department will be.

Don’t forget smoke alarms! Nearly one-third of residential structure fires happen between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Since the great majority of people are asleep during that time, your life and the lives of your room-mates or family members depend on working smoke alarms. Costing under $15 in many stores, they are easy to purchase and, let’s face it: your life is worth $15. For around $25, you can buy the smoke alarms that have 10 year batteries in them - you never change the battery! You simply hook it up and when the battery dies next decade, you recycle it and replace it with another.

Christian Hartley is a captain with the Houston Fire Department and has 16 years of experience in emergency services. Coming from a family of first responders, Christian is the training officer for the Houston Fire Department and has taught safety classes across the nation. He can be reached at chartley@houston-ak.gov.