Fires more likely as temperatures drop

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - After an early morning fire Monday in Lafayette, fire fighters are reminding residents as temperatures begin to drop there are a few things to keep in mind while keeping warm.

A dirty chimney is to blame for the fire that happened around 1:30 Monday morning on the 1400 block of Holloway Drive in Lafayette.

Fire officials said every year as temperatures drop, the number of fires started by dirty chimneys rises. But they said to avoid making those calls, just follow a few steps.

"Common sense goes a long way. Keeping things clean and keeping things away from your fire place and making sure your fire place is clean. Hopefully getting it clean by a professional that knows what they're doing and is a reputable company," inspector with the Lafayette Fire Department Pat Grimes said.

"You're supposed to have yearly maintenance done on your fireplace, which is very important to have a chimney sweep come in, clean it and inspect it," owner of "A Fire's Place" in Lafayette Kim Dahnke said.

But staying safe in your home when you crank those fire places up doesn't just end at making sure you inspect your chimney once a year.

"Always use some type of screen in front of your fire place when you are having a fire. This keeps things from leaving the fire place and catching your carpet or something on fire that is too close," Grimes said.

Grimes added that inspections are crucial to determining the safety of not only your fireplace chimney, but also those chimneys attached to furnaces.

Grimes says something else to keep in mind is to never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fire place or wood stove.

The best wood to use is seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates buildup in your chimneys.