Before you light the first fire of the season, check four things: that the chimney has been cleaned and inspected this year, that the damper opens fully, that nothing that can burn sits within 3 feet of the hearth or stove, and that your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms work. Hearth fires often start with one of those being missed.

Wood heat is part of fall in Lakewood. On a damp evening near American Lake, a fire in the fireplace is one of the nicer parts of the season. It is also the time of year when a chimney that sat unused since spring gets asked to work again without anyone looking at it.

Lakewood homes have a wide mix of masonry fireplaces, fireplace inserts and freestanding wood stoves, each with its own things to check.

What causes chimney and wood stove fires?

Buildup inside the flue is the usual cause. When wood burns, some of the smoke condenses on the cooler walls of the chimney and leaves a dark, flammable deposit called creosote. Enough of it, plus a hot fire, and the deposit itself can ignite inside the chimney.

The other common causes sit outside the flue. Sparks or rolling logs reach a rug. A basket of kindling, a stack of newspapers or a holiday decoration is too close to the stove. Ashes that still hold live embers are put in a paper bag or a plastic bin on the deck.

Wet wood makes all of it worse. Damp wood burns cooler and smokier, which leaves more deposit in the chimney. The Washington Department of Ecology advises burning wood that has been split, covered and stacked for at least one year.

How often should a chimney be cleaned and inspected?

Once a year. The U.S. Fire Administration advises having heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected each year by a professional. Fall, before regular burning starts, is the practical time to do it.

A chimney sweep looks at things you cannot see from the living room: the condition of the flue liner, the cap and crown at the top, the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, and how much deposit has built up. If you bought your home recently and do not know when the chimney was last serviced, treat it as overdue.

What makes fall different in Lakewood?

Moisture, mostly. This part of Pierce County has cool, wet winters. Lakewood has American Lake, Lake Steilacoom and Gravelly Lake within its borders. Damp regional weather can be hard on masonry and the metal parts of a chimney.

Over the years, rain works into cracked crowns and mortar joints, and metal caps and flashing can rust or loosen. A chimney that takes on water may show it as staining on the ceiling near the fireplace, white deposits on the brick, or a rusty damper. Those are worth reporting to your sweep, because a flue that has been wet for several seasons can have damage that changes how safely it carries heat and smoke.

Firewood is the other local factor. Wood stored uncovered through a Northwest fall soaks up rain. Keep this winter's supply under cover with air moving around it, and bring in only what you will burn in a day or two.

Before you light anything, also check whether a burn ban is in effect. In Pierce County, burn bans are announced by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, and they limit or stop the use of fireplaces and wood stoves while they last.

Pre-season checklist for fireplaces and wood stoves

• Schedule the annual cleaning and inspection. It removes flammable deposit and catches liner or masonry damage you cannot see.
• Open and close the damper. A damper that sticks or will not open fully sends smoke back into the room.
• Look up the flue with a flashlight. Nests, leaves and fallen debris block the draft and can catch fire.
• Check the cap from the ground. A missing or tilted cap lets rain and animals into the chimney.
• Clear 3 feet around the hearth or stove. The U.S. Fire Administration says to keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from heat sources.
• Inspect the stove door gasket and glass. A worn gasket or cracked glass lets the fire draw more air than the stove was built for.
• Use a screen or keep the stove door closed. It keeps sparks and shifting logs inside the firebox.
• Set up a metal ash container with a lid. Embers can stay live in ashes long after the fire looks dead, so store the container outside and away from the house.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Press the test button and replace batteries that are due.
• Check your firewood. Dry, seasoned wood burns hotter and leaves less deposit in the flue.

How do you know if you have had a chimney fire?

Some are obvious and some are not. A strong chimney fire can produce a loud roaring or rumbling sound, dense smoke, and flames or sparks from the top of the chimney. Others burn slowly and quietly, and the homeowner only learns about it at the next inspection.

Signs a sweep looks for afterward include creosote that looks puffy or honeycombed, cracked or collapsed flue tiles, a warped damper or metal cap, and heat damage to the roofing around the chimney. If you notice any of these, stop using the fireplace or stove until it has been inspected.

What should you do if a chimney or stove fire starts?

Get everyone out and call 911. Do that first, even if the fire seems to be staying inside the chimney. If you can do so on your way out without delay, close the stove door or the fireplace glass doors to limit the air feeding the fire.

Do not go back in until the fire department says you can. Once they have cleared the house, do not use the fireplace or stove again until a chimney professional has inspected the whole system. A flue that has been through a fire can be cracked in places that let heat reach the framing next time.

What does cleanup involve after a fireplace or wood stove fire?

It depends on where the fire went. A fire that stayed in the flue may leave the living space mostly untouched, with repair work limited to the chimney. A fire that reached the room, or a stove that backed smoke into the house, leaves soot on surfaces well beyond the hearth.

Soot is fine, oily and easy to smear. Wiping it with a damp household cloth tends to push it deeper into paint, upholstery and carpet. Restoration crews use dry cleaning methods first, then cleaners matched to each surface, and they work from the least affected rooms toward the source so residue is not tracked through the house.

Typical steps look like this:

1. Assess which rooms and materials were affected, including inside the heating ducts.
2. Secure any openings firefighters made in the roof or walls.
3. Remove standing water and begin drying if hoses were used.
4. Remove soot from walls, ceilings, floors and contents.
5. Treat lingering smoke odor in the structure and in soft furnishings.
6. Document the damage and the work for your insurance company.

Take photos before anything is cleaned, and keep a list of damaged items. Check your policy and talk with your adjuster early. Your insurer decides what your policy covers.

Is a small puff of smoke in the room worth worrying about?

A single puff when you first light a cold fireplace is usually a draft problem that clears as the flue warms. Smoke that keeps entering the room is different. It points to a closed or blocked damper, an obstruction in the flue, or wood that is too wet, and it will leave a film of soot on walls and ceilings if it continues.

Put the fire out safely, let the system cool, and have it looked at before you burn again. If the room already has a gray film on the mantel, walls or ceiling, that residue can be cleaned, and it comes off more completely when it is handled soon.

If a chimney, fireplace or wood stove fire has left soot, smoke odor or water in your Lakewood or University Place home, contact ServiceMaster of Tacoma to have the damage assessed and cleaned up.