PENDLETON – Once that pretty paper and those beautiful bows have been ripped from Christmas packages, don’t burn them in your fireplace or wood-burning stove.

Fire Marshal Jack Remillard said earlier this week that burning wrapping paper in a fireplace or wood stove can be dangerous because of the rapid build up of heat and the unpredictability of the flying embers.

“Chimney fires can result from the paper being burned in a chimney that needs cleaning,” Remillard said. “I recommend cleaning the chimney once per month, depending on how often the stove or fireplace is used, and what type of wood is being burned.

“Only dry, seasoned wood should be burned. Any wood that is heavy with pitch or damp will cause a rapid build-up of creosote in the chimney.”

If a chimney fire should start, Remillard recommends closing the damper and calling the fire department.

“An unsupervised chimney fire can result in the pipe being forced apart by the pressure built up in the chimney, or in the case of an unlined brick chimney, loose mortar can be blown out from between the bricks, allowing the fire to penetrate the chimney and impinge on unprotected wood and/or insulation in the attic,” he said. “We should always be called to check the attic space after a chimney fire for these reasons.”

Karen King, regulatory specialist for the city of Pendleton, also said burning things other than dry, seasoned firewood can produce fumes that may be toxic and may cause health problems for household residents or neighbors.