LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Between the house fire on Benton Road and another on Azov Court, Lexington has had its fair share of close calls recently. Chimneys from wood-burning fireplaces are considered the cause.
“People think it’s just the soot,” said Captain Wes Watts with the Lexington Fire Department. “But animals and critters can get in there as well and build nests, so it’s extremely important to make sure those are inspected every year before use,” Captain Watts continued.
Captain Watts said his firehouse (Number 2) is among the busiest in Lexington, and recently many of the calls have been about pipes that have burst from the cold. But he knows very well that the winter season can present a fire danger as people resort to extra, or alternate forms of heating their homes, such as wood-burning stoves and space heaters.
“You want to make sure they are completely far away from drapes, or couches, pillows, anything that’s combustible like that,” Watts said. “If you’re using them but won’t be around the house, it’s best practice to turn those off and unplug them,” he suggested.
No one was injured in either house fire, in part because those homes had functioning smoke detectors. Captain Watts said no one should be without those, and he will personally see to it that anyone in need gets one, or more.
“You can call the Lexington Fire Department and we will make sure you get an operational detector in and we will install that for free,” he insisted.
Wood-burning stoves that are often used for heat, and even gas fireplaces can be problematic too, if you’re not being smart about them. Captain Watts said the easiest thing to do is to shut them off when not in use and avoid falling asleep with any of them on.
In the fireplace, make sure to stack the wood towards the back and extinguish the embers before nodding off. Using dry wood and not allowing the ashes to stack up too high are also smart practices.
