Safe stove: warmth without risk

October 20, 2025

A stove is not only a source of comfort and warmth, but also a potential source of danger if basic safety rules are not followed. Especially in rural areas, where stove heating remains relevant, it is important to remember: proper stove operation is the key to health, property safety, and life.

It is worth remembering that in the autumn-winter period, it is the "heart of the home" that is a source of increased danger. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, rescuers' reports are increasingly filled with facts of fires due to non-compliance with the rules for using stove heating systems. So that you do not become the main characters of the Ministry of Emergency Situations news, we recommend that you understand with us how to safely heat your home and not lose it prematurely.

In the Vitebsk region, over 9 months of 2025, 685 fires were registered, 134 of which occurred due to violation of stove heating operation rules.

The causes of fires due to stove heating can be conditionally divided into two groups: stove malfunctions and personal negligence. The first group includes stove defects. These include insufficient clearances of chimneys in places where they pass through wooden ceilings, small distances between stove walls and wooden partitions and house walls, lack of an independent stove foundation or hearth mat, cracks in the chimney, saving on the services of a stove setter, etc. In simple terms, a stove is not just a brick structure in a house, but a separate "mechanism" that requires special attention.

However, building a stove is not enough – it must be carefully maintained. Before the start of the heating season, check and repair the stove, and clean the chimney of soot. Ash and slag, which accumulate in the fireboxes over time, must be periodically removed and disposed of in a location at least 15 meters away from the house, after being pre-wetted with water.

To protect the area in front of the stove, you must install a metal sheet measuring 70x50 cm. This will minimize the risk of embers burning through the floor and allow for safer handling of hot coals.

Also, ensure that the stove door is in good working order and that the dampers are of the correct size, free from defects and burns. Another important point is that the stove should be white. A clean white surface will allow you to promptly detect any stove malfunctions that could lead to a fire, as black smoke marks are clearly visible against this background.

This serves as the primary indicator to seek professional assistance for the remediation of potential consequences. While winter can be exceptionally cold, relying solely on the stove for warmth is not advisable. To prevent fires, avoid overheating individual parts of the stove. Therefore, it is best to heat the house in stages: 2-3 times a day for no more than 1.5 hours each time, and at least 2 hours before bedtime.

These seemingly harmless reasons can lead to unexpected popularity – becoming a star of local newspapers or appearing on the homepage of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus – because with such an approach to safety, you will certainly achieve this. However, such attention will bring nothing but a hospital bed with burns and poisoning from combustion products.

To avoid sad consequences, every homeowner using stove heating must adopt the following safety rules:

– before the start of the heating season, conduct a thorough inspection of the stove and chimney, ensure there are no cracks, chips, or burns. Check the condition of the hearth mat and its size – at least 50*70 cm;

– regularly clean the chimney of soot and other deposits. The frequency of cleaning depends on the intensity of stove use and the quality of fuel used; it is recommended to clean it at least once a year;

– load fuel in moderate quantities, do not allow the use of fuel (firewood) exceeding the size of the firebox, and also do not allow the stove to overheat;

– never leave a heating stove unattended, especially if there are children or elderly people in the house;

– close the firebox door while heating the stove, an open door can cause embers to fall out;

– regularly remove ash from the ash pan, ash accumulation can lead to overheating and ignition;

– do not use flammable liquids to light the stove, and do not allow children to operate the stove!

To prevent children from getting injured when they are near the stove, discuss safety rules and behavior during the heating season with them in advance.