Sitting Room | Wexford County Council

Stoves and chimneys:

The main issues with stoves are caused by the installation and the flue and its location relative to combustible items such as timber joists.
If you are installing a stove, try to ensure that the flue is installed into an existing chimney.
Don’t block up vents in rooms with stoves.
A lot of stove fires occur roughly 5 to 7 years after installation.
Check all flues as they travel up through your house or through walls/floors.
A smoke alarm in the attic is a good idea especially where such flues travel up through the attic.
Clean your chimney at least annually.
Chimney fires can be caused by incomplete combustion in the stove/fire, can damage the chimney lining and/or transfer enough heat through the wall to ignite nearby combustibles (timber joists, insulation etc.).
Stove flues should be checked for faults and cleaned regularly.
Keep the area next to the fire clear of mats and other items.
Make sure that no electrical appliances are kept near the fireplace.
When you remove ashes store them in a metal bucket away from other items and allow them to cool down.
Always ensure a spark guard is in place just after lighting the fire and when leaving the room. It is a bad idea to hang clothes to dry on the fireguard. A fully enclosed spark guard is best.

When you are leaving the room or going to sleep you should blow out any candles, incense or oil burners.
Keep candles apart. Leave at least 10cm between two burning candles
Don’t move them when they’re burning. Extinguish candles before moving them. Also, don’t let anything fall into the hot wax like match sticks.
These items should always be held firmly in heat-resistant holders and placed on a stable surface where they won’t be knocked over.
Keep candle flame away from material that might catch fire such as curtains, furniture, clothes and hair.
Be especially careful if you have a lot of flammable items in your home, like collections of books, magazines or papers.
Be aware that tea lights get very hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic surfaces like a TV or bath.
To avoid accidents keep candles and other naked flames out of reach of children and pets.
Don’t put candles under shelves. Make sure there’s at least one metre between a candle and any surface above it.
Double check they’re out. Candles that have been put out can go on smouldering and start a fire
Yankee candles when they get to bottom are extremely hot, modern baths made of plastic will burn.

It's safer to smoke outside, but make sure cigarettes are put out and disposed of properly.
Avoid smoking on arm chairs and sofas – especially if you think you might fall asleep.
Take extra care when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs or if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
Use proper ashtrays, which can’t tip over and make sure to stub cigarettes out properly.
Don't balance cigars or cigarettes on the edge of an ashtray, or anything else – they can tip and fall as they burn away and cause a fire.
Don’t leave lit pipes or cigarettes unattended.
Always empty ashtrays carefully. Make sure smoking materials are out, cold and preferably wet them before throwing into a bin – never use a wastepaper basket.
Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach, and buy child resistant lighters.
Never smoke if you use healthcare equipment like medical oxygen or an air flow pressure relief mattress. If you use paraffin-based emollient creams, ask for non-flammable alternatives instead.
Consider additional safety measures such as fire retardant bedding or nightwear.

Electronic cigarettes can cause less fires than normal cigarettes.
Only use the battery and charger provided with the e-cigarette.
Avoid charging the e-cigarette overnight.
Never use a damaged e-cigarette.
Never use an electronic cigarette close to medical oxygen.
All electrical appliances that don’t need to be left plugged in should be unplugged at the end of the day or before you leave the home.