As temperatures are getting cooler on the Central Coast, Santa Barbara City Fire wants to remind the community about fireplace safety.
Most chimney fires are caused by a dirty chimney according to Santa Barbara City Fire. These types of fires are dangerous because they can rapidly spread to other areas of the home.
If someone has an active chimney fire, the first thing you should do is get everyone out and safely away from the building, then call 911.
Santa Barbara City Fire offers these fireplace safety tips:
- Have your fireplace and chimney inspected once a year in the fall
- Use a mesh screen or glass cover for fires
- Wait until the ashes are cool before removing them
- Discard the ashes in a metal container and place the container outside, far away from the garage and home
