WKYT Talks To Brion Barnhill About Fireplace Safety

WKYT’s Megan James stopped by this week to talk to Brion Barnhill about keeping your home and fireplace safe and warm this fall and winter.

Check out the video: WKYT Interview

But if you can’t watch right now, be sure to read excerpts from the video below.

Megan James: It’s that time of year where temperatures are cooling down and the seasons are changing, sweaters are being brought out, hot chocolate is being poured and fires are rolling in the fireplace. Before you get your fireplace fired up for the season, it is wise to give the experts a call.

Brion Barnhill: The national fire protection association recommends yearly inspection of your fireplace and there’s a very good reason why. When you have your fire, there’s smoke that goes up the flue and that smoke condenses, and forms a flammable deposit called creosote.

James: The experts will check for any creosote when they inspect your fireplace and remove it if need be. They have the process down to a science.

Barnhill: The very first thing we do is inspect the fireplace to make sure that it does need to be swept and then at that point, if it does, it’s kind of like Mary Poppins with rotary tools, but we usually sweep it from the inside. We have high-powered vacuums that control all of the soot so there’s no mess whatsoever. And then we come in and run a camera up the flue, make sure everything’s okay up there..

James: No matter what type of fireplace you have, this is a smart precaution to take…

Barnhill: And most folks think, sure, I know if I had a wood burning fireplace, I should get that inspected. But your gas fireplace needs to be inspected, too. They’ll both be absolutely 100% safe, as long as they’re maintained.

James: As long as you have your fireplace inspected, you’ll be ready to roll for the season in Lexington. I’m Megan James WK white C.