Fire Officials Stress Fireplace Safety

St. Clair Shores Fire Department officials remind residents to take proper safety steps before lighting a fire a fireplace.

This was highlighted this past week when a firefighters responded to a blaze at home in the 22000 block of Rosedale.

According to St. Clair Shores Fire Marshall M. Bodnar, there was minimal damage to the home after an accidental fire in the fireplace. Fire investigators said there was an abundance of wood in the shallow fireplace, and they were uncertain if there was a crack in the chimney, but the blaze went through the wall. 

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, and there were no injuries to residents or firefighters.

With colder weather approaching, and residents utilizing their fireplaces, Bodnar offers the following tips to safely use their fireplaces:

• Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned out
• Don’t overload a fireplace
  
• Never leave a fire unattended
• Have a working smoke detectors in the house