"spj_uk" wrote in message
oups.com...

Just moved in to a new house that has a wood burning stove and we used
it for the first time over the weekend.

At the end of the night the fire was still going, but we wanted to go
to bed. Is there any 'quick and safe' way to put the fire out? Or in
fact would it be safe if it is just the burning embers and the doors
are shut?

We assume the stove conforms to the fire code
where you live. Modern stoves can be left safely
at bedtime to burn themselves out during the night.

Do some homework in the library on the use of a
wood stove. Burning depends on (1) draught = oxygen
supply and (2) fuel supply. If there is enough draught
the fire will burn until all the fuel is used up: if you
shut down the draught the fire may go out before all
the fuel is used.

There is no quick and easy way to extinguish a wood
stove. The main control is the draught. If you need to
extinguish the fire fast some users throw baking soda
onto it (to suppress combustion) but it would be just
as quick to shovel the burning contents into a metal
bin using a metal shover -- that is, if you have a safe
place outdoors to which the fire can be carried.

For stove management: (1) A safe chimney, cleaned
regularly, is essential; (2) Burn only the right fuel
(wood air-dried for at least two years); (3) For hour to
hour management, the most useful tool is a thermometer
(of either stove top or stovepipe temperature.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)