It’s that time of year again. John Lewis have released their advert, snow is starting to fall and German markets are appearing all over the country- it must be coming up to Christmas. We’ll soon find ourselves running maniacally through the streets trying to find our child’s must-have toys, while simultaneously trying to get all the food together for Christmas dinner. We all dream of having that picture-book Christmas moment: with the whole family curled up in front of the fire after eating our own body weight in turkey.

However, in order to enjoy your fireplace over Christmas and, of course, the entire winter, you need to ensure that you are operating it safely. The last thing you want is for something to go wrong and to suddenly find yourself sweeping up Christmas tree ash. It’s very unlikely that you’ll fall victim to a fireplace mishap, but we thought we’d put together a few tips on how to ensure you’re using it safely.

• First of all, you should make sure to inspect your chimney every couple of years. It’s certainly worth getting in touch with an established chimney sweep, such as Pearson Sweep, so that you can ensure that there’s nothing blocking the flue, or if there are any further issues with your chimney that pose a potential danger.
• You should also make sure that you have functioning smoke alarms throughout your home, so that you can be alerted as soon as something goes wrong. A set of alarms are absolutely essential if you want to make sure that you’re staying safe this winter.
• Ensure that your fireplace is covered with a mesh screen to ensure that no sparks can fly out and onto your carpet, and also that your children or pets won’t accidentally fall onto the fire.
• You need to make sure that nothing flammable is being stored near the fireplace and that the fireplace is being kept clear of any obstructions. The last thing you want is a corner of the carpet to find its way into the flames and spark a fire.
• Lastly, when you are clearing away the used coal in your fireplace, you need to bear in mind that they stay hot for a long time after use. You need to find a secure container to keep them in while they cool down, and then ensure that you are keeping them away from any combustible objects.

Here at Pearson Fuels, we are the best coal merchants around, and please get in touch with our team of experts for any further information on the products that we provide!