The Scents of Winter

By Clarin Blessing

Ahh, the scents of Winter…there is nothing more comforting than sitting around the fireplace or woodstove on a cold winter night. The sounds of the fire crackling, the warmth of the flames, the serenity of feeling warm and snug…Until…a strange sound – sort of like a freight train has just entered your vicinity…crackling, whooshing, getting a bit louder – so what does the average person do? Puts on a coat, wanders outside and checks out the noise.

Or you hear a frantic knock on the front door and your neighbor is there with a panicked look on their face…Hey, Charlie: ‘YOUR CHIMNEY’S ON FIRE”.

That scenario was ours in 2001 when our chimney caught on fire in the midst of an ice storm in Washington State…very embarrassing as we are both retired firefighters, paramedics and at one time owned the largest chimney cleaning service in the Washington, D.C. area. Plus the firefighters who came to put out our fire all knew us. They had trouble keeping from laughing so that they could actually put the fire out.

All of this is leading up to remind you that if you use your fireplace either with wood or gas to schedule a chimney inspection and/or cleaning now, before you hear “that” sound.

Please check out your chimney cleaning service carefully. They should be certified (check their certification), they should come with something other than a shop-vac and a set of brushes on poles. They should be clean, bonded and licensed. They should take the time to educate you and work with you. Don’t be swayed by remarks like: “Your chimney is in horrible shape – you need to have it lined.” Have them prove to you their claims. It is, after all, your home that you are putting in their hands to make safe.

There are an estimated 25,000 chimney fires in the United States annually – accounting for nearly 125 million dollars in property loss. Don’t let yours be the next!

Clarin Blessing is an emergency preparedness consultant operating out of Overland Park.