During fall and winter, one of the joys our family loves is curling up in front of a warm fireplace. We have a wood burning fireplace which requires clean and safe maintenance to prevent the enjoyment from turning into a tragedy. There are many safety checks which must be done before starting your first fire of the season. Our fireplace is 18 years old, and we use it almost everyday during the winter.  Being a nurse and having worked at at Burn Center, I am particularly sensitive and cautious when it comes to safety and maintenance of a wood burning fireplace. FIREPLACE SAFETY CHECKS Chimneys need to be checked and…