Safe stove: simple rules from rescuers

Stove equipment is an object of increased fire hazard.

Fires related to malfunctions or improper operation of stoves lead to significant material damage, and people often die in such fires. To avoid disaster, it is enough to follow these simple safety rules:

- In severe frosts, it is recommended to heat the stove 2-3 times a day for no more than 1.5 hours. This will prevent overheating;

- there should be no cracks or gaps in the stove, and the chimney should have good draft and be whitewashed with lime mortar. This is done so that cracks appearing over time can be noticed against a white background;

- during the heating season, clean the chimney of soot at least once every 2 months;

- the stove and chimney at the points of connection with wooden ceilings should have a thickening of brickwork or a firebreak;

- to prevent accidentally dropped burning coals from causing a fire, nail a metal sheet measuring at least 50x70 cm to the wooden floor in front of the firebox. It can be made of non-combustible brick;

- under no circumstances use flammable and combustible liquids for lighting;

- do not leave the firebox doors open and the heating stove unattended – this is a direct path to a fire;

- keep clothes, furniture, firewood, and other combustible materials at least 1.5 meters away from the stove;

- discard ash and burnt-out coals no closer than 15 meters from buildings;

- do not leave a heating stove unattended and do not allow children to light them on their own.