As the temperatures cool down in Arizona more of us are lighting up our fireplaces and improper use is leading to home fires. Mesa, Az., Fire Department says they are seeing a new trend, fires that are too big for the fireplace. Public Information Officer Forrest Smith says homes built in the past 15 years typically have smaller chimneys and can't handle the same amount of heat as a traditionally built fireplace. More

By now everyone who heats with wood should have their wood bin full. The wood you burn this year should have been cut last year or in early spring at the latest. Seasoned wood is a must for optimum heat. If the wood still is green it takes more heat to get the water out and will heat your home less. Also the water in the wood makes for creosote build up in the chimney. Speaking of chimneys, by this time you also should have cleaned your chimney or had a professional do it. More

With winter comes the comfort and smells of hot chocolate, apple cider, delectable holiday treats -- and wood fires. This winter also may mean the chance for Silverthorne residents to install or upgrade wood stoves. From the mid-1990s until two years ago, solid fuel burning devices were banned in Silverthorne because of pollution problems in the valley. But since 2008, there has been a steady reintroduction of permissible devices each year -- first masonry heaters, then pellet stoves. Now, wood stoves are being brought to the town council table for consideration. More