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"Sure, you do it the first time you get your fireplace going," he says. "But it's not just that year or this year, but every year."

Buckiso, vice president of operations for the Fireplace & Patioplace in four area locations, echoes the thinking of other heating professionals as the season brings on interest in wood-burning.

This year, with energy prices predicted to rise because of hurricane-caused fuel shortages, fireplace and stove burning has taken on a bigger role than usual.

"People are understanding the similarity between putting gas in the car and gas in the furnace," says Buckiso, whose firm has stores in Monroeville, Ross, Mt. Lebanon and Cranberry.

That bit of learning also is bringing about acquaintance with safety tips to make sure fireplace blazes don't spread to the rest of the house. Experts recommend basics such as:

• Inspections of chimneys, flues and dampers
• Use of screens and glass doors for safety
• Capping chimneys to block them from animals

"It's a constant evaluation," says Steven G. Triebold, fire prevention and protection program manager at Penn State's Department of Environmental Health and Safety. "Not only should you clean your fireplace or flues at the beginning of any season, but you need to maintain a constant monitoring of your systems."

One of the most basic rules he and others urge is starting each season with a good cleaning.

"Flues should be inspected annually to look for fire hazards," he says. "You need to check for creosote build-up or pieces of wood that may have fallen into the chimney and could start fires other than in the firebox."

Tyffanee Hall, manager of Hall's Pools & Fireplaces in Lower Burrell, says the interest in fireplace use this year has spurred cleanings. The firm is doing about six a day, but booking about 10 each day.

Cleanings and inspections have become easier because cameras can be worked through chimneys to check for creosote build-up or damage, she adds.

Fuel prices have shifted interest in the types of heating devices being used, she says. In recent years, 75 percent of customers were interested in using gas fireplaces. Now, however, that number is looking into wood-burning units.

She, Triebold and Buckiso also recommend wire screens or glass doors to make sure sparks don't leap out. They also urge having chimneys capped.

"If you cap them, you can keep animals, birds and bats from building nests in your fireplace," Hall says. "It also keeps pieces of wood out."

They also urge homeowners to be careful of the types of wood being used. Hardwoods such as maple, oak and hickory create efficient heat, while pines and other softwoods have more sap residue.

"That can lead to creosote build-up on the damper, and it won't work properly," Triebold says. "Sometimes a flue can be plugged shut."

And remember the obvious, he adds.

"Come up with a home escape plan," Triebold adds. "We try to prevent things up front, but you have to be ready."

Keep it clean

Well-planned wood burning in an efficient stove provides the best warmth, saves money and reduces air pollution. Here are some keys to "burning clean":

Upgrade to an EPA-certified stove or other similar technology. Clean-burning stoves emit 70 percent fewer particles in pollution and use 30 percent less wood.

Burn hardwoods for more-efficient heat.

Season all firewood and make sure it is stored and aged for at least six months.

Choose the right stove. A stove that is too big for a room will need to be greatly dampened, which wastes wood -- and money.

Clean ashes from stove. Excess ashes can block vents.

Begin with a quick start. Open the draft to the maximum and get the fire bright and hot at the beginning.

Burn smaller later. These fires produce the maximum in heat while cutting fuel consumption.

Don't let the fire smolder. Letting a fire smolder overnight doesn't do anything for heat and can increase pollution.

Keep the chimney clean. That provides good draft and reduces chances of chimney fires.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

Safety tips

Safety hints from the National Fire Prevention Association can be found at www.nfpa.org.

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