After the heating season: Failure to take these steps increases the risk of fire dramatically

The season of centralized heating in the cities and districts of Lithuania is already over, and as the weather is more and more reminiscent of summer, the owners of private houses are ending the active heating season as well. However, experts note that there is still one very important job that should not be postponed until autumn – it is the cleaning of chimneys and chimneys, which reduces the risk of fire, and the inspection of heating systems.

Data from “Lietuvos dramudis” show that improper heating systems and chimneys not cleaned and maintained are the main causes of fires in individual houses. As a rule, this usually happens in buildings of old construction, where heating systems were installed long ago and not always professionally.

“Last year, we recorded almost 1,000 fire and fire-related damages to buildings and the property in them. Although this is not a very large number in the general statistics of housing damage, it is worth emphasizing an important point – building fires can cause catastrophic consequences with large material losses and human deaths. And at least some fires can really be avoided, for this it is necessary not to forget to regularly maintain heating systems and especially chimneys”, says Aivaras TumėnasLithuanian Insurance property insurance risk assessor.

According to the expert, it is disappointing when these maintenance works are postponed for a later time, often the new heating season starts without it being done and the soot ignited in the chimney becomes the cause of the fire.

“Soot accumulating in chimneys is a very common cause of fires in residential buildings. Every time the stove is fired with solid fuel, soot accumulates in the chimney, forming a viscous and highly flammable resin, which ignites extremely quickly when exposed to fire. Chimney cleaning can really help protect property and people’s lives in such a house. Therefore, we would like to remind residents that the care of heating systems does not end with the heating season”, emphasizes the expert.

According to A. Tumėnas, it is also important to carefully inspect the heating systems, as there is a good chance that after a more intensive heating season, faults and defects may have started to form, which will be seen only in the next season.

“Although it seems that the heating system is functioning smoothly, it should not be forgotten to check it regularly, because it is not always possible to see a defect immediately. So that next season you don’t have to worry and suffer losses due to unnoticed faults, it is best to do it together with specialists”, says A. Tumėnas.

According to the data of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD), last year there were almost 3 times more fires in individual houses than in apartment buildings.

The most common causes of fires are violations and malfunctions of the requirements for the installation and operation of stoves, fireplaces and chimneys (41%), malfunctions of electrical devices, appliances, electrical installation (16%), careless behavior of people with fire (11%), careless smoking ( 6 percent) and spontaneous combustion of materials (6 percent).

A. Tumėnas reminds that in order to protect your property from the risk of fire, you should:

• Soon after the end of the heating season, clean the chimney, chimney and furnace ducts, entrusting these works to a professional in the field;
• At the end of the active heating season, carefully check the heating systems, if there are signs of defects or malfunctions, do not delay and start repairing them;
• Together with the chimney, solid fuel stoves and shoulders should be inspected and cleaned. If you find suspicious faults, cracks, etc., consult with specialists.