The First Fire of the Season in Plainfield: A Six-Step Check
By Dan Joel, Elite Sweepers Inc.
The first fire of the season is usually spontaneous. The temperature drops, someone suggests it, and the fireplace gets lit for the first time in six or seven months without much thought about what changed in the meantime. Ten minutes of checking beforehand is what separates a good evening from opening every window in the house.
Step one: work the damper
The short answer: it must move through its full travel and open completely.
With the fireplace cold, run the handle end to end. It should move with even resistance and stop cleanly. If it grinds, jams, or feels loose and disconnected, stop there and get it looked at rather than lighting a fire and finding out the hard way.
Step two: look up the flue with a flashlight
The short answer: you are looking for daylight at the top and nothing in between.
Open the damper fully and shine a light up. You should see a reasonably clear passage. Nesting material, leaves, or a visible thick black coating on the walls all mean the flue needs attention first. If you cannot see daylight at the top on a bright day, something is blocking it.
Step three: check the firebox itself
The short answer: cracked firebrick and missing mortar joints matter.
The firebox takes direct heat and it does degrade. Look for cracks in the firebrick, joints where the mortar has crumbled away, and any gaps at the back wall. Small hairline cracks are common and usually not urgent. Gaps you can fit a fingernail into are worth a professional opinion before you run fires all winter.
Step four: test the draft before you commit
The short answer: light a rolled newspaper and watch which way the smoke goes.
With the damper open, hold a lit twist of newspaper up near the throat. The smoke should be pulled up and away immediately. If it hesitates or rolls back into the room, you have a cold flue with a downdraft. Warming the flue first with a few minutes of burning paper held high usually establishes the draft, and if it does not, that is telling you something.
Step five: confirm your detectors work
The short answer: carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, tested, with fresh batteries.
This is the step people skip because it is not about the fireplace. It is the most important one on the list. Press the test button on every detector, and if any of them are more than about a decade old, replace the unit rather than the battery. A working detector is what catches a venting problem you did not know you had.
Step six: use the right wood
The short answer: dry seasoned hardwood, and nothing else.
Wet or green wood produces far more creosote and far less heat, which is a bad trade in both directions. No construction lumber, no painted or treated wood, no pallets, and nothing with adhesive in it. Our DIY chimney maintenance guide goes into what to look for in seasoned firewood.
What the checklist cannot tell you
The short answer: the condition of the parts you cannot see.
Everything above is visible from the room or the ground. What it does not cover is the state of the liner along its full length, the crown and cap at the top, the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, and how much creosote is actually up there. That is what a chimney inspection is for, and it is why the annual visit is not made redundant by a careful homeowner check.
For local scheduling, see our chimney sweep service in Plainfield or the full list of services, with costs on our pricing page. Elite Sweepers Inc is insured and bonded, works seven days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM, and gives you the price before the work starts. Call (708) 432-3977.
First-Fire Questions
Why does my fireplace smoke when I first light it?
Most often a cold flue. The column of cold air inside the chimney resists the warm smoke trying to rise through it. Warming the flue first by burning a rolled newspaper held up near the throat usually establishes the draft before you light the main fire.
How can I tell if firewood is properly seasoned?
Seasoned wood is lighter than it looks, has visible cracks radiating from the center of the cut end, and makes a sharp knock rather than a dull thud when two pieces are struck together. Green wood is heavy, hisses as it burns, and produces far more smoke.
Should I open a window when using the fireplace?
In a tightly sealed house it can help, because the fire needs replacement air from somewhere. If you consistently need a window open to keep smoke out of the room, though, that points to a draft or venting problem worth having looked at.
Is it safe to burn a fire if I skipped the annual sweep?
It is not something we would recommend. You have no way to know how much creosote accumulated last season or what got into the flue over the summer, and both are exactly the conditions behind chimney fires and blocked venting.
What kind of wood should never be burned in a fireplace?
Treated or painted lumber, plywood and particleboard, pallets, driftwood, and anything containing adhesive or plastic. They release harmful compounds and often burn hotter and dirtier than the fireplace is built for.
Do gas fireplaces need a seasonal check too?
Yes. The venting, the burner, the ignition system and the connections all need annual attention even though there is no creosote involved. Our gas fireplace service page covers what that visit includes.
How high should I stack wood in the firebox?
Keep it modest. Overloading a firebox produces more heat than the unit and flue were designed to handle and increases the chance of embers escaping. Several smaller fires are safer than one very large one.
When should I close the damper after a fire?
Only once the ashes are fully cold, which often means the next day. Warm embers continue producing carbon monoxide, and closing the damper traps it in the house.
Published September 11, 2026