The most important safety checks before your first fire of the season are: confirm when the chimney was last inspected, test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, look for damage in the firebox, make sure the damper opens fully, listen for animals, use dry seasoned wood, and clear 3 feet around the hearth. If any check turns up a problem, or the chimney hasn’t been inspected in the past year, book an inspection before you light up.
That first cool Connecticut evening makes the fireplace hard to resist. These seven checks take about fifteen minutes, and every one of them can be done from inside the house. No ladders, no roof.
They cover what you can see and test yourself. What you can’t see, such as the liner, the smoke chamber and the crown, needs a professional. The section after the checklist explains what that involves.
1. Check When the Chimney Was Last Inspected
Fire safety standards (NFPA 211) call for a chimney inspection once a year. If yours was more than twelve months ago, or you don’t know, that’s the first thing to fix.
If you have last year’s report, reread it. Was there anything the technician recommended that never got done? An open recommendation is the most common reason a “fine last year” chimney isn’t fine this year.
Just moved in? Treat the fireplace as unknown until it’s been inspected, however good it looks. Not sure how soon to book? See our guide: is It Too Late to Book a Chimney Sweep This Fall?
2. Test Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Press the test button on every alarm and replace any batteries that are due. Check the date printed on the back of each alarm. Smoke alarms generally need replacing after 10 years. Carbon monoxide alarms have their own lifespan, often between 5 and 10 years, so go by the manufacturer’s date.
You should have a CO alarm on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide has no smell, so an alarm is the only reliable warning. Learn more about carbon monoxide safety in our guide.
3. Look Inside the Firebox
With the fireplace cold, shine a flashlight around the firebox and hearth. This is the main thing to inspect inside the house before your first fire. Look for:
- Cracked or missing firebrick
- Pieces of tile, brick or clay on the hearth that weren’t there before
- Rust, water stains or damp patches
- Shiny, tar-like black deposits (this can be glazed creosote, which needs professional removal)
Take photos of anything unusual. They’re useful when you call.
4. Open and Close the Damper
Work the damper handle back and forth. It should open fully and move without forcing.
A damper that sticks, won’t open all the way, or has rusted in place needs attention before any fire. Smoke has to have a clear path up the chimney. A fireplace insert, wood stove or gas fireplace may work differently, so follow its manual.
5. Listen for Animals
Stand by the fireplace for a minute and listen. Scratching, chirping or rustling means something may be living in the chimney. Twigs, leaves or nesting material in the firebox are another sign.
Never light a fire to drive an animal out. It can trap them, injure them, or block the flue with burning nest material. Learn how to handle animals in the chimney safely.
6. Use Dry, Seasoned Wood
The EPA recommends firewood with a moisture content of 20% or less. That usually means wood that has been split and stacked for at least six months, and longer for dense hardwoods like oak. Seasoned wood is lighter, has cracks at the ends, and sounds hollow when two pieces knock together.
Wet wood smokes more, burns cooler, and leaves more creosote in your chimney. Never burn painted or treated wood, cardboard, or trash.
7. Clear 3 Feet Around the Hearth
The U.S. Fire Administration recommends keeping anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the fireplace. That includes rugs, furniture, blankets, decorations, kindling and the firewood pile. Put a sturdy screen or glass doors in front of an open fireplace before lighting.
What Should a Professional Check Before You Use Your Fireplace?
The seven checks above cover what you can see from the room. A professional inspection covers the parts of the system you can’t safely reach or see. Ask for these to be checked:
- The flue liner: cracks, gaps or deterioration that let heat and gases escape into the walls.
- Creosote buildup: how much is in the flue, and whether it has hardened into a glaze that needs special removal.
- The smoke chamber and damper throat: the hidden area above the firebox, where problems often go unnoticed.
- The chimney crown, cap and flashing: the top of the chimney, where water and animals get in.
- Blockages: nests, leaves and debris that sit higher up the flue than you can see.
- The masonry: cracked or crumbling brick and mortar, inside the home and out.
A camera inspection of the flue (a Level 2 inspection) is the usual way to see inside the liner. It’s recommended after a chimney fire, a change of appliance, or when you buy or sell a home, and Eversafe’s inspection covers up to Level 2.
When to Hold Off on Your First Fire
Wait until a professional has had a look if:
- Your chimney hasn’t been inspected in the past year
- The last report has repairs that weren’t completed
- You found fallen pieces of brick, tile or liner
- You heard animals or saw nesting material
- Smoke came into the room the last time you used it
- There’s been a major storm or a suspected chimney fire since your last inspection
Postponing one fire is a small price compared to running a fire through a chimney with a problem you can’t see.
What Usually Causes Smoke in the Room?
The most common first-fire problem is smoke coming into the room. The cause is often simple: a damper left partly closed, a blocked flue from a summer nest, or a cold chimney that needs warming before it draws.
But smoke spillage can also point to a liner or flue problem, so it’s always worth having checked rather than guessed at. If it happens, put the fire out safely, open a window, and have the chimney looked at before you try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important safety checks to do before the first fireplace fire of the season?
Confirm the chimney has been inspected within the past year, test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, check that the damper opens fully, and clear 3 feet around the hearth. Then look inside the firebox for damage, listen for animals, and make sure you have dry, seasoned wood.
What should I inspect in my chimney and fireplace before lighting the first fire of the season?
From inside the house, look at the firebox and hearth for cracked firebrick, fallen pieces, rust, water stains and shiny black deposits, and test the damper. The rest of the chimney, including the liner, smoke chamber, crown and cap, needs a professional inspection.
What steps should I take to prepare my wood-burning fireplace for the first fire of the season?
Check the last inspection date, test your alarms, inspect the firebox, work the damper, listen for animals, stock dry seasoned wood, and clear the area around the hearth. Put a screen or glass doors in place, and start with a small, hot fire.
What should I have a professional check before using my fireplace for the first time this season?
Have a professional check the flue liner, creosote buildup, smoke chamber, damper throat, crown, cap, flashing and masonry. They can also look for blockages such as nests that you can’t see from the room.
What are the best ways to make sure my chimney is safe before the first fire of the season?
Book an annual inspection, have the chimney cleaned if the inspection says it’s needed, and fix any recommended repairs before you burn. Then run the seven checks above before every season.
Does a chimney I didn’t use last year still need an inspection?
Yes. An unused chimney can still collect animal nests, leaf debris and water damage. Not using it doesn’t stop any of those.
Should my first fire of the season be small?
A small, hot fire with dry kindling is a good way to warm a cold flue and get a steady draft. But a small fire doesn’t make an uninspected chimney safe. Do the checks first.
What if everything on this checklist looks fine?
Good news, but these checks only cover what you can see from the room. The liner, smoke chamber and crown can only be assessed during a proper inspection, which is why it’s recommended once a year.
Book Your Pre-Season Chimney Inspection
If any of these checks raised a question, or you simply want to be sure, Eversafe Chimney Experts can inspect your chimney before you light up. Our technicians are CSIA certified, licensed and insured, and we’ve served Connecticut homeowners for 10 years. Our chimney inspection is $69 and covers up to a Level 2 inspection, and same-day service is available.
Call (860) 846-4458 to book your inspection.
