Are you afraid of lighting a fire in your fireplace because of the safety risks it involves? A fireplace is a great addition to the interiors of any home. They not only look great but also heat up your homes to keep them warm and comfortable during the cold winter season. As a result, you no longer have to rely on gas or electrical heaters to heat up your home. This is how fireplaces allow you to enjoy a quiet cozy evening inside your home. However, fireplaces can also prove to be dangerous for your home when not used safely. Keep the Fireplace Area Clear The first tip we have for you to reduce the risk of a house fire from your fireplace is to keep the fireplace area clear and empty. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to keep things at a minimum distance of 5 feet from the fire place. Remember to always clear the area of the fireplace before lighting a fire in it and do not set any pieces of furniture, rugs or pillows near the fireplace. Placing things at a safe distance from the fireplace will help you prevent fire accidents that happen due to flames landing on nearby things. Do Not Use Heavy Flammable Liquids to Start a Fire The next tip we have for you is to never use heavy flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace. Many people use heavy flammable liquids like gasoline as a hack to start a fire quickly. They feel this is a much more convenient option but what they don’t realize is this convenience comes at a high price. The use of heavy flammable liquids is highly dangerous because these liquids are very volatile so they can easily intensify the fire and make it uncontrollable. For this reason, it is better for you to start the fire in a fireplace using matches and tinder. If you face some difficulty then you can also buy a pack of fire-starter squares. The squares in a fire-starter pack are helpful as they burn for about 15 minutes continuously to help start the fire. Only Burn Dry Wood and Safe Materials in the Fireplace You should also make it a point to only burn dry wood and natural materials in your fireplace. Throwing cardboard, newspaper or other types of paper trash to burn in your fireplace is never a good idea because this will release toxic chemicals into the air and also produce a lot of smoke which can cause irritation in breathing. Always Place a Fireplace Screen in front of the fireplace Placing a fireplace screen in front of a fireplace is a great way for creating a barrier between the open fire and your house. The fireplace screen prevents any flames from coming out and also prevents pieces of wood from falling out of the fireplace. Moreover, a fireplace screen is a necessity for homes with children and pets in order to protect them from the open fire. We hope you try to follow the tips given above the next time you use your fireplace. In the case of any accidents or small house fires, you can always contact a fire restoration company for repairs and renovation. For more information on fire damage restoration, please visit our website.