How to put out your log burner
There’s nothing quite like getting a fire going and relaxing in front of a roaring flame. When it comes to putting it out, however, do you know the best and safest way to do it? Failing to put out your fire or not doing it properly can be dangerous, so it is vital that you end your evening fires safely.
How to put out your wood burner
- Adjust your air controls to low. This will reduce the amount of oxygen fuelling your fire, reducing its intensity as the flames die down.
- Once the flames have reduced and only embers remain, put on a heat-resistant glove and slowly open the stove door, making sure you don’t swing the door open.
- Using a fire poker, spread out the ashes in your stove, flattening any embers and remaining bits of fuel. Close the stove door once you have spread the ashes out.
- If after waiting there is still some embers in your stove, repeat the process and keep waiting. Every stove and fire take a different amount of time to die out, so patience is important.
- Once the embers have died out and your stove is extinguished, your fire is finished and your stove can be left unattended with its door closed.
The key to putting out your fire is to have patience. Starving your fire of oxygen will safely cause the flames to die down, letting you safely spread the embers and ash in your stove to eliminate the fire.
A light spray of water can be used to help speed up the cooling of the ash, but make sure you take care when spraying and don’t excessively spray.
What not to do
As tempting as some of these may be, they can cause serious harm and could even result in a house fire. When putting out your fire:
Do not pour or throw water into your stove. Not only will this flood your house with smoke, but the resultant steam could also scald you.
Do not throw items onto the fire to put it out by smothering it – these will likely catch alight and cause your fire to burn uncontrollably.
Do not leave it unattended to burn out overnight. It is not only unsafe to leave your fire unattended, but you should only slumber your stove if it is specifically designed to do so.
Top tips
The ash from your stove can be used in compost or to protect your vegetables from slugs and snails, so it’s valuable to keep some safely stored for future use when cooled. Your local council will have specific guidance on how to dispose of ash in your general waste once it has cooled.
Checking your carbon monoxide alarm is in-place and working could save your life. As carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless, and tasteless, it is important you stay vigilant.
Neglecting your fire and not starving it of oxygen as you want it to die down could cause your stove to overfire, potentially costing you hundreds of pounds in repairs.
Having a fire extinguisher to hand will ensure you are safe if something goes wrong, and will do a much better job at preventing harm or damage than throwing a bucket of water on your stove. Just make sure your extinguisher is not a CO2 extinguisher as these are ineffective at tackling wood fires, and contact your local fire and rescue service for further advice.
Make sure the stove door stays closed both whilst your fire is burning and once your fire is extinguished. You don’t want any residual emissions entering your room – keeping the door closed makes sure these are all pulled up through your chimney and expelled away from your home.
Most importantly: every stove and its installation is different. You will get to know your log burner as you burn; the more you heat your home the more you will understand how quickly your stove heats up, and how to put the fire out.
Further advice
Your local HETAS Registrant will be able to give you more advice and safety information on how to operate your stove and get the most heat.
Find your local professional using our postcode search.
The HETAS Advice Hub has a range of tips and advice to ensure you can continue to burn safely and responsibly.
