As the weather turns colder, Mainers are cranking up the heat. For many people, that means firing up the wood stove.

There’s nothing like a roaring fire in the stove to keep a family warm during those chilly winter evenings. Before a stove is lit for the first time this season, it is important to take some precautionary steps to ensure the fire stays where it belongs, and out of the chimney and home.

According to the United States Fire Administration, there were around 25,000 chimney fires in 2012. Those fires caused property damage in excess of $125 million and at least 10 deaths, according to www.redbeacon.com. Chimney fires are most often caused by a buildup of creosote on the walls of a chimney or stovepipe.

According to Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham, creosote is a result of unburned material from the fire accumulating on the walls of the stovepipe, resulting in a sticky substance that is highly flammable. The lower the temperature in the stovepipe, the more quickly the creosote accumulates. While all fires create a certain amount of creosote, unseasoned or green wood can contribute to the problem greatly because it burns at a lower temperature.

Most creosote can be removed during an annual chimney cleaning, which is an important step in prevention. It is also important to inspect your flue at least once a month to ensure its clean, Upham said.

“Open the clean-out and use a flashlight and mirror to look up inside the flue,” Upham said. “And it's important to have a professional clean the chimney once a year. People were good about it last year, and we only had two chimney fires.”

Upham also said that older chimney flues that are cracked can cause a chimney fire to spread into a house, so it's important to have it inspected regularly.

To be properly seasoned, split wood should sit for six months to a year. Wood that is split before being stored dies quicker and burns more evenly in the stove. Some kinds of wood burn hotter than others, and are said to have a higher “heat value.” The best woods for heat value are hickory, apple, oak, sugar maple, beech and ironwood. The worse heat values are produced by coniferous species, such as white pine (see www.hearth.com for a full list of heat values vs. wood types).

When burning inside a wood stove, it is important to ensure the fire burns at a steady hot level. Adding frequent, small amounts of wood and adjusting the damper of the stove as needed will ensure the fire burns evenly and doesn't fluctuate in size and intensity.