How do I make a gas or wood fireplace safe for guests?
Short answer
Have the fireplace, chimney and vents inspected every year, which is what NFPA 211 calls for. On a glass-front gas fireplace, fit a protective barrier, since the CPSC says the glass can reach 500 to 1000 degrees and burns to young children are often severe. Put CO alarms on every level and outside bedrooms, post short operating steps next to the fireplace, and decide on wood burning based on your insurer, local burn rules and who will handle the ashes.
A fireplace is one of the most photographed features in a winter listing, and one of the few things in the house that can burn a child, start a fire or put carbon monoxide in the air. Guests will use it the first evening, often without reading anything. This page covers inspections, the hot-glass hazard, CO alarms, what to post by the fireplace and put in the house manual, and how to decide whether to allow wood fires.
Fire and building codes differ by city and county. Check local requirements with your fire marshal or building department, and coverage with your insurance agent.
Get it inspected every year
The chimney sweep trade group CSIA says it follows NFPA 211 (opens in a new tab), the Standard on Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, which says chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year. A Waterville Valley, New Hampshire fire department letter (opens in a new tab) cites the same rule, in NFPA 211 Chapter 14. The CPSC (opens in a new tab) also says to have a professional inspect fuel-burning heating systems, including chimneys and vents, each year.
Gas units need this too. CSIA says gas burns cleaner, but a flue can still be blocked by bird nests or other debris.
Which inspection level
CSIA describes three inspection levels (opens in a new tab):
| Level | When it applies | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Same appliance, same use as before | Readily accessible parts, connections, no blockage or deposits |
| Level 2 | Sale or transfer of a property, a change in fuel or appliance, or after a chimney fire or weather event | Level 1 plus attics, crawl spaces, clearances and a video scan of the flue |
| Level 3 | When Level 1 or 2 suggests a hidden hazard | Removing parts of the structure only where needed to reach it |
If you just bought the home, ask for a Level 2. After that, book a yearly inspection in early fall. Keep the report with your records, since an insurer may ask for it.
Why it matters
The CPSC estimates that fireplaces and chimneys were involved in an average of 15,800 fires a year from 2017 to 2019, with an average of 20 deaths and 50 injuries a year. The NFPA (opens in a new tab) says the peak months for home heating fires are December, January and February, which is peak season for a winter rental.
The hot glass on gas fireplaces
In a 2012 statement (opens in a new tab), the CPSC chairman said the glass front of a gas fireplace can reach anywhere from 500 to 1000 degrees, and that burns to young children who touch it are often very severe.
A 2013 CPSC statement (opens in a new tab) says the voluntary industry standard now requires vented gas fireplaces whose glass gets hotter than 172°F to be installed with a protective barrier, effective January 2015. For older units, it says the hearth industry association encourages owners to retrofit a barrier. At the time, the standard for unvented gas fireplaces had not been updated for contact burns.
What to do:
- Check whether your fireplace has a mesh screen or barrier in front of the glass. The requirement took effect in January 2015, so an older unit may not have one.
- Ask the manufacturer or a hearth dealer for the barrier made for your model. The standard says the barrier itself must not create a burn hazard, so a generic screen may not be the right fix.
- If you list the home as family-friendly, a barrier is the minimum. A hearth gate adds distance.
- The pages we read don't say how long the glass stays hot after the flame is off. Check your owner's manual and put that time on the sign.
The US Fire Administration (opens in a new tab) also says to keep fireplace on switches and remote controls out of children's reach. Store the remote on a high shelf and say where it is.
CO alarms near the fireplace
Gas and wood fireplaces both burn fuel. The CPSC (opens in a new tab) says fireplaces can produce fatal carbon monoxide when installed wrong, poorly maintained, blocked or misused. It says to put CO alarms on each level and outside sleeping areas, use battery or battery-backup alarms, test monthly, and, if one sounds, get outside right away and call 911. The alarm count answer gives numbers by home size.
Whether to allow wood burning
A wood fire is a draw for guests, but it adds ash handling, wood supply and more ways for a stay to go wrong. Gas-only is the simpler choice.
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Does your insurer cover guest use of a wood fireplace? | Get it in writing | Gas only, or lock the fireplace |
| Did the last inspection pass and was the chimney cleaned? | Allow with rules | Close it until it's repaired |
| Can your cleaner remove ashes safely at each turnover? | Allow with rules | Gas only, or a wood stove with a closed door |
| Does your area have no-burn days? | Post the alert source | Note it in the manual anyway |
On no-burn days, some regions ban wood fires outright. In the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, the Air District (opens in a new tab) says burning wood in fireplaces, stoves and fire pits is illegal during a winter Spare the Air alert, while gas, propane and electric fireplaces are allowed. A first violation can mean a $100 ticket unless the person takes a wood smoke course. Check your county or air district.
If you allow wood fires, the USFA and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue (opens in a new tab) give the rules to post:
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the fireplace.
- Use the screen whenever there's a fire.
- Don't burn paper or trash.
- Put the fire out before going to bed or leaving the house.
- Put cooled ashes in a metal container with a metal lid, outside and at least 10 feet from the house. Never use a paper bag, cardboard box, plastic bag or a vacuum.
- Fairfax says ashes need at least four days to cool before you dump them.
Supply the wood, a metal ash can with a lid, a tool set and a fire extinguisher. Buy firewood locally, since the USDA (opens in a new tab) says moving it spreads invasive pests.
Write it in the house manual
Airbnb's safety article (opens in a new tab) says hosts should give instructions for features that could cause injury if misused, and must address known hazards such as poorly maintained gas appliances before accepting reservations. Your house manual is where those instructions go.
Copy and edit this:
Fireplace. The gas fireplace turns on with the wall switch to the right of the hearth (or the remote on the top shelf). It takes about [X] seconds to light. Turn it off before bed and when you leave. The glass gets very hot and stays hot for about [X] minutes after it's off, so keep the screen in place and keep children and pets back. Please don't open the glass or try to relight the pilot. If it won't light, message me. If you smell gas, leave the house, then call [gas company] at [number] or 911 from outside. Don't flip switches, use the fireplace or light anything on the way out. If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside, then call 911.
The gas steps follow Connecticut's utility regulator guidance (opens in a new tab), which says to leave if the smell is strong, call from a safe place, and not to use light switches, phones near the smell or anything that could spark. Your own gas company or propane supplier will have its own steps. Use theirs.
Post an instructions sign by the fireplace
Guests read a sign at the moment they use the fireplace. Keep it to six lines or fewer. Make one with the house rules sign tool and frame it on the wall or mantel.
- How to turn it on and off (switch or remote location)
- "Glass is hot. Keep the screen in place."
- "Turn off before bed and when you leave."
- Wood: "Only the wood provided. Ashes go in the metal can outside."
- "Smell gas? Leave, then call [number] or 911."
- Your phone number
Link the fireplace rules in your listing's house rules too, and add a fireplace check to the cleaning checklist: screen in place, remote stored high, ash can emptied safely, wood restocked.
For winter heating and pipes, see the winterizing answer, and for cabins, the mountain cabin answer.
Build your house manual
Fill in check-in, Wi-Fi and house rules once. Print the manual or paste it into your listing.
Add fireplace steps to my manualFrequently asked questions
How often should a rental fireplace be inspected?
At least once a year. NFPA 211 says chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year, and the CPSC recommends a yearly professional inspection. Get a Level 2 inspection when you buy the home.
Do gas fireplaces need a chimney inspection?
Yes. CSIA says gas burns cleaner than wood, but bird nests and debris can still block the flue, and it recommends annual inspections for all chimneys.
How hot does gas fireplace glass get?
The CPSC chairman said in 2012 that it can reach anywhere from 500 to 1000 degrees. Fit the protective barrier made for your model, especially if children stay.
Should I let guests burn wood?
Only if your insurer allows it, the chimney passed inspection, your cleaner can handle ashes and local rules allow burning that day. If any of those is a no, offer gas only or close the fireplace.
What should the fireplace sign say?
How to turn it on and off, that the glass is hot and the screen stays in place, to turn it off before bed, where ashes go, what to do if they smell gas, and your phone number.
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