Using Your Fireplace This Fall? Darien Has 10 Tips to Keep You Safe

After an unseasonably warm October, it’s finally sweater weather — and the City of Darien wants its residents to stay safe as much as it wants them to stay warm.

For those lucky enough to have a working fireplace this winter, the City sent a release outlining some tips for safe fireplace use:

• Clean your chimney once a year
• Clear any debris from your chimney, such as bird nests toward the top
• Check your chimney flue for blockages
• The City recommends installing spark arresters on wood burning fireplaces
• If you have spark arresters, make sure they were installed correctly and work
• Make sure all your dampers open and close properly
• Keep your screen closed while using the fireplace
• Keep the area around your fireplace free of any flammable materials like paper, wood and furniture
• Never use charcoal lighter fluid or any similar liquid to start a fire in your fireplace. They’re extremely flammable
• Your fireplace should be Underwriters Laboratory approved

If you’re building a fireplace, make sure you contact the Community Development Department at 630-353-8115 for building permits and inspection requirements.

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