THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996               TAG: 9610020160
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   42 lines

KEEP CHIMNEYS CLEAN TO AVERT CHANCE OF HOME FIRES

Chesapeake fire officials want to make sure the fire this winter is in your fireplace and not in your chimney.

``The problem is that people need to check and clean their chimneys at least once a year, generally at the beginning of the heating season,'' said Robin C. ``Bob'' Anderson, fire inspector with the Fire Prevention and Emergency Services Division of the Chesapeake Fire Department. ``People need to make sure their chimneys are not obstructed by bird nests, for example. And the most important thing is homeowners need to check their chimneys for any creosote buildup.''

Creosote is a dark, tar-like substance that occurs as a by-product of burning wood. Anderson said it is a dark crusty or slick agent that adheres to the sides of chimneys.

When wood is burned in a fireplace, creosote is deposited in the chimney. If ignored, the buildup inside the chimney could catch fire.

``When that catches fire it can burn at upwards of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and most chimneys can't take that kind of heat,'' Anderson said. ``The fire can then extend beyond the chimney, onto the roof or into the attic space. The primary cause of chimney fires is that creosote buildup and people not taking precautions to have that checked.''

The theme to Fire Safety Week, Oct. 6-12, is ``Let's Hear It for Fire Safety - Test Your Detectors.''

``With the heating and burning season approaching, the likelihood of fire in the homes increases,'' he said. ``All homes should have reliable smoke detectors and if you live in a home heated by oil, gas or wood, you should have reliable carbon monoxide detectors. And if people, who may live in an all-electric home, bring in a kerosene space heater, one of those detectors is needed there, too.''

Home smoke detectors alarm families of the presence of smoke in the home, generally the main killer in fire-related deaths. Anderson said alarms should be tested once a month and the batteries replaced at least once a year.

``Many, many lives have been saved due to working home fire alarms,'' he said. ``We've also seen where death occurred in homes with alarms that weren't working and weren't tested or due to alarms with dead batteries.'' by CNB