Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog

Fire Safety tip

As many of you know I do volunteer fire work. Last night we got a call out for a fire. I have posted safety tips in the past. I only post tips when a situation is odd and is something you could do with out thinking. Last night was one of those times.

OK you have a great roaring fire going in the fireplace. This is one of the joys of mountain living. Maybe you have a take out dinner with some wine and decide to throw the bag, paper, the dinner came in on the fire. So far so good. But here what happened. The fire was hot so the heat pushed the bag up the chimney and the burning bag was trapped at the chimney top. The chimney looked like it was on fire and the bag blocked the exit for the smoke so smoke poured into the home , again making the home owner think there was a fire. In the end we all arrived and made sure no embers went into the woods or caught the roof on fire.The home was fine.

So today's tip is if you have a roaring fire remember heat rises and when you add to a fire make sure what you add will not scoot up your chimney potentially causing a chimney or roof fire, as well as blocking the path for smoke to exit.

4 comments • Charlie Ragonesi 706- 579-1098 • January 28 2010 12:47PM

Fire Safety in the Winter

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about the coming winter and what you should do to be safe from a fire perspective. Since that post I have been out on 2 calls and listened to a third one. So I think since they all had the same cause it is time to update the blog.

You are in your mountain home in the winter. You have a great fire going. It is time to go to bed . What do you do? You could time your logs so you have them burn down. So far so good. But then you have the hot ashes. Some folks have decided to take them outside and dump them. Cold does not mean fire proof. . So with leaves etc I have been on two calls in the cold at night because of this. Your fire place is made to keep the ashes. Make sure you have good screens. Also if you are in the mountains for a weekend and figure you will dump the ashes outside next day don't. Those ashes set one of the 2 fires I have been to.

The third fire was also ashes dumped outside . This time there was snow on the ground. But unfortunately the ashes were dumped too close to the house. This was during our snow storm and many of us could not get to the scene and the fire department trucks almost slid off the road. So many were put in danger. In the end the home owner got it under control with some siding damage.

The point here is folks your fire place is the place for your fire. Just because it is cold does not mean you can dump ashes and not start a fire. Please be especially careful in this cold weather with your hearths and their ashes.

4 comments • Charlie Ragonesi 706- 579-1098 • January 13 2010 03:46PM

Have a safe Christmas

As many of you know I do volunteer fire fighting here in the mountains. This time of the year is the worst for fires. They usually start around the Christmas tree, or a fire left to burn in the fire place with out being secure properly.

Lets talk a minute about the Christmas tree. Most people are careful about their lights as the bulbs get hot. But the tree can usually take a whole bunch of heat. Now you should not leave the lights on over night of course.

The real problem is the chords for the lights. The fires are mostly started by multiple strings of lights on extension chords. Eventually the chords short . The spark from the shorting chord is what sets the fire. So check your chords and make sure you do not over load them. This is the cause of most Christmas tree fires not heat from lights. Have a safe holiday

1 comment • Charlie Ragonesi 706- 579-1098 • December 25 2009 05:05PM

Mountain Chill sets in

This week it is going to get a bit cool in the mountains. Fall is a great time of year. Whether you are in Big Canoe or anywhere in Jasper or the North Georgia Mountains you are thinking, " I am looking forward to that first fire in the fire place. Here are some tips to stay safe.

1 You should have a chimney swept once a year for a fire place.

2 If you use a wood burning stove you can go 2 years EXCEPT if you control the heat and do a slow night burn. The slow burn will build up resins in the chimney. You should clean once a year if you do regulated night burns for heat

3 Avoid burning pine. Pine has a lot of creosote in it. Creosote build up is a major cause of chimney fires.

4 If you use a wood burning stove your first couple of fires should be small ones. The iron needs to expand as it has been sitting cold for a number of months. A roaring fire first time out can lead to a crack in the iron and mean you need to replace that expensive bad boy.

5 Remove those decorative pine cones or any flammable objects from around your fire place or stove. They can flame up and cause a major fire from the heat of your fire.

6 Make sure you have a proper fire screen and fire proof rug in front of your fireplace. You do not want popping embers to ruin a good rug or burn a pretty floor.

Remember the chimney sweep you use will check your pipes for cracks and holes as well as clean the chimney. They should also make sure your chimney is water tight. Often you need re-caulking around the top as the heat drys out Caulk. You do not want to allow rain to come down your pipe.

Chimney fires and flammable materials too close to the heat source  are a major cause of house fires as winter approaches. Take a little time to make sure your chimney is clean and in good working order. Look at what is around your fireplace or wood burning stove. I do not want to pull up to your house in my  fire gear.

4 comments • Charlie Ragonesi 706- 579-1098 • September 28 2009 10:02AM

Big Canoe Fire Department , or how to spend a Saturday

This Saturday I continued to work on my volunteer fire fighting. Yes I took a day off from Real Estate. When buying in the mountains insurance prices are influenced greatly based on fire coverage. Some communities like Big Canoe have their own fire Department. And while you do pay monthly fees in the end your insurance is down. I am one of the volunteers and spent this Saturday Training. So I could not help including this photo.

What did I learn? NEVER stand in front of a fire hydrant when it is being bled!!!

After a long day in Big Canoe at the fire house

2 comments • Charlie Ragonesi 706- 579-1098 • April 25 2009 04:34PM