Not All Kindling is Created Equal -- Avoid These Types of Wood!

3/29/2022 (Permalink)

There is nothing quite as cozy as a crackling fire on a raw, rainy day in early spring. Given that our SERVPRO team is always concerned about fire safety in your home, we want to update you on two types of wood you should never use to start or feed a fire. 

The first -- brushwood -- might seem obvious because you wouldn’t want to pick it up or touch it, anyway. Brushwood includes plants like poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. 

You already know that contact with this kind of vegetation can result in an itchy rash on your skin. But did you know burning it can actually cause severe allergic respiratory reactions, that can put anyone gathered around to enjoy the warmth of the fire at risk. 

Second -- any type of evergreen tree, like cedar, pine or spruce -- will ignite quickly and burn very hot. They actually ignite so quickly that they fizzle out almost as fast, potentially creating creosote deposits inside your chimney, which can cause a chimney fire. 

In that event -- or the event of any type of fire -- call SERVPRO of Danvers / Ipswich for expert fire restoration services.