How do I safely “turn off” or shut down my wood burning fireplace?
There is no way to simply “turn off” a wood fireplace. It takes time and effort to safely shut down a wood burning fire.
Do not fully close either of your fireplace controls (air intake and flue damper) to try and “choke” the fire out. This can cause smoke spillage into your living space.
At any point during a fire, you can stop adding fuel (wood) to the fire and will naturally, slowly begin to die out. It is important to note that even once all your wood has burned, the coals can retain heat for several days.
When disposing of ashes, always place the ashes in an airtight, metal container. The closed container of ashes should be placed on a non-combustible floor or on the ground, well away from combustible materials until their final disposal. Red hot coals can stay warm in ash for several days so it’s imperative to make sure everything has cooled down and to be cautious of where you are emptying your ash.
