February is the month of love, but don't forget to give your home some much-needed affection, too. From cleaning your ...

The warmth and crackling of a hearth fire in winter has a timeless appeal. Yet traditional wood-burning fireplaces have fallen out of favour due to their soot, smoke and pollution. Neverdark, a ...

We chatted with chimney experts about how to keep your hearth in shape — plus we found top-rated electric fireplaces for ...

While some schools in or near wildfire evacuation zones have reopened, some campuses may need ongoing cleaning to keep students and staff safe from smoke and ash.

The same can be said for fireplaces. Putting a screen in front ... He also says check your chimney for cracks and soot builds up. "We've already seen this week, a couple of chimney fires, and ...

Make sure the rod and brush connectors are compatible, Payne adds. If you’re cleaning from inside the house, you’ll need access to the fireplace; you won’t be able to cover it. Protect yourself, floor ...

Swiping the soot away. I was inside the fireplace now, on my hands and knees. Working on the rear wall. Tight, circular motions. Wax on, wax off… The grime never seemed to go away, though.

"If you inhale [soot], it enters your body and can cause severe health impacts," Jennifer Hadayia, executive director of the environmental nonprofit Air Alliance Houston, told the Latin Times.

It's important for your fireplace to be soot-free and for you to regularly clear excess ashes, as soot above one inch tall can create more smoke and is more likely to cause a fire. Also, ensure the ...

Twelve Texas counties have recently exceeded federal air quality standards for particulate matter, commonly known as soot. But Texas environmental regulators are proposing that only four of them be ...

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Twelve Texas counties have recently ...