Keeping Your Kids and Pets Safe Around the Fireplace

Having a fireplace involves many responsibilities, especially if you have young children and pets. Even if you do not have kids or pets, you may have younger guests this holiday season who may not be used to being around a fireplace. Of course, you can teach your kids and train your pets to not get too close to a burning fire, but you should still take a few safety precautions when they are too young to follow instructions carefully. Chim Cheree Chimney Specialists considers your safety as our top priority when it comes to your fireplace, and we would like to tell you some recommendations from Safe Kids Worldwide that will help you keep your young children and pets safe around the fireplace this winter.

Set up barriers around your fireplace to prevent children and animals from getting too close.

The best way to protect your kids and pets from harming themselves from a burning fire is to install glass fireplace doors in front of the fireplace. These doors will stop them from trying to touch any flames and burning their hands or paws and from falling into the fireplace and severely injuring themselves. While these doors are excellent for preventing injuries, the glass can get very hot, and if kids try to touch the doors, they can burn themselves badly. To stop this from happening, you can set up a mesh metal screen in front of the hearth to keep kids and pets from getting too close to the fireplace. You will want to find a sturdy screen that cannot easily be pushed over or knocked down. Chim Cheree Chimney Specialists can help you find the perfect safety screen from your home.

Always supervise children and pets when a fire is burning.

Keeping an eye on your kids and pets around the fireplace is another excellent way to ensure their safety. Never leave young children or animals unsupervised in a room with a fireplace, even if it is not being used. Kids and pets can be curious, and they can hurt themselves with your fireplace tools if given a chance to play with them. Children, dogs, and cats have also been known to explore in an unused fireplace and could make a big mess with any ashes inside the firebox.

Install smoke and carbon monoxide detector alarms throughout your home.

To reduce the chances of your family dying in a fire or breathing in toxic gases like carbon monoxide, installing these types of alarms is essential. Make sure you have alarms on every level of your home, in the same room as your fireplace, and outside each bedroom. Ensure your alarms are working by checking the batteries when you adjust your clocks in the spring and fall for Daylight Savings Time.

Teach your children fire safety rules, and train your dogs to stay away from the fireplace.

Not only should you teach your children about the dangers of playing around the fireplace, but you should also tell them that they should never play with matches and lighters. You should also take care to keep these items out of reach. You can train your dogs to stay clear of the fireplace by never allowing them to play in front of the hearth area. Our staff can give you more suggestions on training your dogs to keep them safe from the fireplace.

For more fire safety tips for children and pets, contact us at Chim Cheree Chimney Specialists. We are happy to help you keep your kids and animals safe this winter.