Enter: Christopher Britt, a chimney sweep with Black Moose Chimney and Stove. Britt’s job is to make sure stoves and chimneys are clean and safe.

The first type of wood fireplace is the common open-air fireplace. These are not very efficient as much of the heat escapes through the chimney, requiring more wood.

Efforts to decrease the use of wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces in Portland seem to have had little effect, according to preliminary results from a new state survey. Skip to Article Set weather ...