WOOD STOVE SAFETY

The lure of the ol' fashioned wood burning stove has made numerous people realize that there can also be some significant problems, including FIRE HAZARDS.

Here are some DO's and DONTs for those wood-burning stoves:

DO

DO—Ensure enough clearance between the stove and combustible materials, including floors, walls, and ceilings.
DO—place the stove on a noncombustible, fire-resistant base.
DO—have a mason or other competent person inspect the chimney.
DO—burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.
DO—consider opening a window with a crack for ventilation.
DO—dispose of ashes in a closed metal container outside the house.

DONT

DON’T—extend the stove pipe through a wall or ceiling unless there is no possible alternative.
DON’T—connect a wood stove to a fireplace chimney unless the fireplace has been sealed off.
DON’T—connect a wood stove to a chimney serving another appliance burning other fuels.
DON’T—start a stove fire with flammable fluids, such as gasoline.
DON’T—burn trash in a stove; doing so can start a chimney fire.
DON’T—let a wood fire burn unattended or overnight.

Before installing your stove, check with local authorities to be sure you comply with local fire and building codes.
Think twice about where you'll put your stove. Usually, a centralized location is best if the stove is to be used as a heating device.

One point to consider is that warmed air rises. If the stove is too near a stairwell, you may lose much of your heat to the floor above. 

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards call for a 36-inch clearance between a room heater stove and any combustible wall or ceiling surface. If the length of the horizontal portion of the stove pipe won't permit that much clearance, protect the combustible wall with a panel of some protective material, such as sheet metal, spaced at least one inch from the wall.