And from the department of "I told you so . . ."

[jhetley]

"Wood stove ashes start blaze"

http://bangordailynews.com/detail/98731.html

Long-term readers of this column will remember my admonitions on the subject.  Although, it's kinda harsh to blame the ashes and embers for "operator failure."  This represents one of those "side effects" of our trashed economy -- can't afford oil heat, use wood stove without wood stove experience. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the State Fire Marshal crew has a tote-board with odds, back in the office, with side-bets on how many of which kind of fire they investigate this year.  And on the number of carbon-monoxide deaths, whenever we have a power failure and people run generators inside the house.  Some "accidents" follow statistics  . . .

Comments

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

The fire department here in Colebrook has been toned out at least once a week for chimney fires since the start of the new year, and at least one structure fire related to wood heating that burned down the whole building. (It was a "camp" -- the local term for a seasonal or vacation home up in the woods, usually with minimal amenities.) Normally, we don't see chimney fires much at this time of year; the usual times are either in the fall, when people are firing up their wood stoves for the first time since the previous winter, and spring, when the creosote in the chimney starts to build up.

We haven't yet had a propane tank explosion or a carbon monoxide incident locally this year, though. But I won't be surprised when we do.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Some of these things are dreary-predictable. One example, Wife and I were out walking the other day, observed the marks of kids sledding down a slope near the street, and I remarked that we had not yet had our first kid-slides-out-in-front-of-car fatality for the year.

Showed up in the news within a day or two.

[ziactrice.livejournal.com]

What about the statistically relevant portion who set their homes ablaze by attempting to use candles for light during power outages?

Or space heaters, which is usually the larger chunk down here. Up there it probably is wood heat.

Kerosene lanterns probably aren't quite as high - oddly, people who know how to use a kerosene lantern are usually far more careful with it than people are with candles. Don't know why.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

We get those, too. The State Fire Marshal has a TV ad running these days, about safe use of electric space heaters. They mutter grim things about propane or kerosene space heaters and carbon monoxide.

Plus, there's always a large chunk of "smoking in bed" or "improper disposal of smoking materials" -- often also involving alcohol.

Kerosene lamps are a bit less dangerous than candles, because the flame is shielded. You have to set your curtains right against or over the lamp chimney for best effect . . .

Actually, most of our candle fires don't involve power outages. Just "atmosphere" lighting.