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There are several maintenance tips you should take to ensure your pellet stove's safety and proper maintenance. You should vacuum the ash pan every week to prevent overflowing and clean the stove and surrounding vents every three to four months. It’s also important to get a professional inspection every year and install a carbon monoxide detector close to your stove. Be sure to dispose of hot ashes in a closed metal container; store it outside, away from the house. Only use the pellets recommended by your stove's manufacturer, and follow any cleaning and maintenance instructions.

Bioethanol fireplaces are safe when users follow the instructions and maintain the fireplace. Ethanol is flammable, however, and should be kept away from flammable surfaces, children, and pets.

Call 911 immediately. If you have a fire extinguisher or fire blanket near the laundry room, you can attempt to extinguish the fire, but don’t open or touch the dryer. If you can’t put the fire out, evacuate yourself, your family, and your pets from the house, closing the laundry room door behind you. Turn off the electricity to your home via the outside fuse box, then wait for the fire department. After a dryer fire, have your home’s electrical system inspected to make sure there isn’t any damage.

Your smoke detector might be too high in some homes or circumstances to reach yourself. If you feel unsafe getting on a ladder to replace your hardwired smoke detector, call a licensed electrician or local handyman to knock this project off your to-do list. If you have a battery-operated smoke detector, your local fire department can change the batteries or help you replace the detector—just make sure you call the non-emergency number.

In any case, do not let this project go unresolved, as it could turn into a huge safety issue.