The First Fire of the Season

Why the first fire is different

Over the off-season, a chimney sits open to the weather and to animals. An unused flue is a sheltered spot for birds and other animals, rain can soak into an uncapped flue or a cracked crown, and caps or dampers can loosen. Any creosote left in the flue from last winter is still there.

None of that is visible from the living room. The first fire is often the first time the chimney is asked to do its job in months, and it is when a blockage, a stuck damper or a draft problem becomes obvious. If you had the chimney inspected and swept this fall, the test confirms the result. If you did not, the test is no substitute for that inspection, and our heating-season checklist covers the fuller preparation.

A five-minute walk-through before lighting

1. Outside, from the groundLook up at the chimney top. Is the cap still there and upright? Are there branches, leaves or anything new sitting on top?
2. The damperOpen it fully and leave it open. If it will not open all the way, stop here.
3. The fireboxLook for fallen debris, twigs, pieces of tile or masonry, or water staining. Shine a light up past the damper if you can do it safely.
4. The roomClear the hearth and a 3-foot zone in front of it, as the U.S. Fire Administration advises, and set the screen in place.
5. The alarmsPress the test button on the smoke and CO alarms nearest the fireplace and on the sleeping level.

Anything you find in the firebox, such as twigs, nesting material or broken tile, is a reason to have the flue looked at before you light. Our guide to animals and nests in the chimney explains what to do next.

Build a small test fire

The first fire should be modest. A small fire produces less smoke to spill into the room if something is wrong, and it is easy to let burn down.

• Use dry kindling and a few pieces of seasoned wood. EPA's Burn Wise program recommends dry, split, seasoned wood and starting fires with dry kindling or natural fire starters.
• Do not use paper as fuel; the U.S. Fire Administration advises against burning paper in a fireplace or stove.
• Open a nearby window a crack if the house is very tight or exhaust fans are running, since a fire needs air from somewhere.
• Stay in the room for the first half hour. This is a test you have to watch.

Reading the draft

In a fireplace that drafts well, the smoke from the kindling rises and is pulled toward the back of the firebox and up through the damper once the fire catches. Signs the draft is weak or blocked:

• Smoke rolls out over the top of the opening and into the room.
• The fire struggles even with dry wood and an open damper.
• Smoke clears when a window is opened and returns when it is closed, which points to the house competing for air.

A cold flue can draft sluggishly for the first few minutes, so judge it after the fire is established. If smoke keeps coming into the room, stop adding wood and let the fire burn down. Our guide on why smoke comes into the room covers the causes.

Reading the smell

Some odor from dust burning off the grate and firebox is normal on a first fire. Pay attention to smells that are stronger or different:

• A sharp, acrid or tarry smell in the room.
• The smell of burning plastic, fabric or wood from somewhere other than the firebox.
• A smell of decay or ammonia, which can come from an animal or nest in the flue.

Any of these is a reason to let the fire die down and have the system checked. Smells that linger in the off-season are a different question, covered in why does my fireplace smell?

Reading the sound

A wood fire crackles. The sounds to take seriously come from the chimney itself. CSIA describes a dramatic chimney fire as loud cracking and popping, dense smoke and an intense, hot smell. A deep, steady roar from the flue is another warning sign.

Outside, and after the fire

Once the fire is going, step outside and look at the chimney top from the ground. You should see smoke or heat shimmer leaving the flue. Smoke leaking from the sides of the chimney or from around the crown is a sign that the flue is not sealed the way it should be. Smoke drifting out of a neighboring flue in a multi-flue chimney deserves a look at the top before the next fire; our guide to chimneys with more than one flue explains how flues share a chimney.

After the test fire

Leave the damper open until the ashes are completely cold, as fire departments advise, and handle the ashes with a metal container kept outdoors. Our guide to getting rid of ashes safely walks through it.

Write down what you saw: how quickly the draft established, any smoke or smell in the room, anything you noticed outside, and the date. A short note like this is useful at the next inspection and lets you tell whether something changed later in the season.

First fire in a wood stove or insert

A stove or insert gets the same test with a few additions. Check that the door gasket is in place and the door latches firmly, that the glass is not cracked, and that the ash pan is in and closed. Look at the visible stovepipe for rust, separated joints or sagging. During the first fire, run the stove the way the manual describes for start-up rather than closing the air control early. New paint on a new stove can smoke and smell during its first burns, which the manual will mention; that is different from smoke leaking from pipe joints into the room.

First lighting of a gas fireplace

For a gas fireplace or gas logs, follow the lighting instructions in the manual and the warnings on the unit. Before lighting, make sure the outside vent termination is not blocked by leaves, nests or plants, and that the glass and the safety barrier are in place. If you smell gas at any point, do not light the appliance; leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Hot glass is its own hazard for young children; see gas fireplace glass and children.

Questions homeowners ask

Sources

1. CSIA: Preventing Chimney Fires
2. U.S. Fire Administration: Fireplace and Wood Stove Safety (handout)
3. U.S. EPA Burn Wise: Best Wood-Burning Practices
4. NFPA: Carbon Monoxide Safety tip sheet (copy hosted by the Village of Penn Yan, NY)
5. Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue: Fireplace and Ashes Safety Tips

This guide is general information. It can't diagnose a specific chimney; an inspection can.