Buxton Fire Chief Jeff Grinnell is stressing safety for families, as more Maine homeowners turn to burning wood to save on rising heating costs.

In a National Fire Protection Association report, heating is one of the leading causes of fires nationally in the months of December, January and February. There were 395,500 home fires nationally in 2004 with 3,190 deaths and 13,700 injuries.

Grinnell advised people planning to burn wood to call their local fire departments for information about safe installation of new stoves, inspections of existing ones and proper maintenance during the heating season. He said homeowners in Buxton are not charged any inspection fee.

He said many times people call after they have already installed a woodstove and then learn something was wrong. “It’s better to call me on the front end,” he said.

In addition, Grinnell said homeowners with existing woodstoves or fireplaces should call for a safety check before using one this year.

After receiving proper installation information from a fire department inspector, homeowners should be able to install a woodstove themselves. Proper installation of smoke pipes, which attach the woodstove to a chimney, is a safety must.

Grinnell said each joint connecting lengths of smoke pipe should be secured with three screws. If smoke pipes don’t already come with holes for metal screws, then homeowners should be able to drill them. Without being secured by screws, joints in smoke pipes could loosen with “heating and cooling,” he said.

Grinnell listed some other key safety factors for those burning wood. He said combustible materials, such as kindling wood, should be kept at least 36 inches from a woodstove or fireplace. And chimneys should have a two-inch clearance between masonry and combustible building materials all the way through a house to the attic. “Clearances are the biggest things,” he said about safety in burning wood.

Chimneys and smoke pipes should be regularly checked for soot and a buildup of creosote, a dark brown or black tar deposit inside a chimney. Creosote is flammable and often is a cause of chimney fires. Grinnell advised “keeping an eye” on chimneys once a week by using a mirror to look up through and to make sure stove pipes stay clean. In fireplaces, homeowners should be sure to look for soot behind dampers.

A danger in some older homes built in the 1700s or 1800s is that the chimneys are not lined. Grinnell said mortar often falls out of old brickwork, creating a hazard in unlined chimneys. There are companies that can install proper liners in old chimneys.

Floor coverings under and around stoves are also of concern because hot coals sometimes roll out of stoves. Grinnell said older woodstoves should be checked to make sure they are still in safe useable condition.

Burning wood that is not properly seasoned can cause creosote in chimneys. And Grinnell fears an increase in the number of chimney fires this year. “I’ll go to more chimney fires this year than last year,” Grinnell said.

He blamed a limited supply of seasoned firewood as a major cause that would lead to more fires. “It’s tough to get good dry wood,” Grinnell said about this year’s supply. “Green wood leads to creosote build up,” he said. “Seasoned wood is scarce.”

Removing ashes from woodstoves or fireplaces is another critical safety factor. Because ashes could contain hot coals, it should never be placed or stored in a paper bag, cardboard box or any flammable container. “Don’t put ash in a combustible container, ever,” said Westbrook Fire Inspector Lt. Chuck Jarrett.

He said all ashes should be stored in a metal container until it could be properly disposed of. Jarrett said regulations for the disposal of ash vary and homeowners should check to see what the regulations are in their town.

Grinnell said ashes shouldn’t be stored in homes or garages. He said ashes shouldn’t be dumped on lawns covered with dry leaves. He recommended a gravel or sandy area for disposal of ashes. He disposes ashes on garden land that has little vegetation.

Insurance is an added incentive for homeowners to have woodstoves and fireplaces inspected. Without an official inspection report, Grinnell said some insurance companies might not pay for damages in case of a fire.