By JIMMY LAWTON

With several woodstove related fires in the past two weeks, St. Lawrence County Emergency Services Director Michael LeCuyer is urging people to perform maintenance on their heating units.

Just over two weeks into the new year, woodstove related fire have destroyed homes and garages in Massena, Louisville Norfolk, Lisbon and Pyrites.

The most recent occurred in Norfolk where an improperly installed woodstove led to a fire that destroyed a garage on Route 420.

LeCuyer said the cold weather often brings about woodstove related fires and the recent cold snap has been no exception.

“We are seeing a definite increase in residential fires that have resulted in significant structural loss,” he said.

This being his first winter season as the Emergency Services Director, LeCuyer said he was uncertain if the instances were up from last year, but noted that fire departments have been busy in the past two weeks.

LeCuyer said the most common causes of woodstove fires are overloaded stoves, burning unseasoned wood and failure to clean chimneys.

“A lot of it is common sense. People should not be overloading woodstoves,” he said. “They should burn dry wood and they should keep their pipes clean.”

LeCuyer said every woodstove is a little different and that people who burn them should either have them cleaned professionally or follow their manufacturer’s instructions. He said he would not recommend one method of cleaning a woodstove over another, but advised those with questions to reach out to a professional.

In Potsdam, firefighter Mark Lozipone said he cleans his chimney about once a month.

Lozipone said maintenance is fairly simple. He a chimney brush can be purchased at most home supply and hardware stores. The brush needs to be run down the chimney from the roof to dislodge any build up and debris. Once the chimney has been swept, the creosote and ash should be removed from the cleanout located at the based of the chimney

Lozipone also recommended taking apart pipes on the inside of house to ensure there is no creosote buildup.

Lozipone said people who want to ensure their stoves are in good order should have them inspected by a code officer or certified professional.

Lozipone said the problems often occur during cold snaps as it creates the perfect storm for chimney fires.

“When it’s not that cold you have people burning slow fires and that creates a build up. Then in really cold weather they really start burning, the pipes get hot, the chimneys get hot, and that’s when you have a problem,” he said.

Lozipone said that while the maintenance may not be fun, it beats the alternative.

“It’s a dirty job so people don’t like to do it,” he said. “But it’s better than burning down your house