Even with a fence installed, a crawling kid or toddler should never be left alone unsupervised in a room with a wood burning stove. Toddlers specifically, like to toss items over the fence. Heavier objects such as blocks can easily crack or break the glass front of particular models of stoves. Plastic products, should they reach the top of the stove, can easily melt and release toxic fumes into the air San Diego California Heating And Cooling .
From a very early age, kids should be taught the hazards of a wood burning stove. It needs to be explained that fire is hot and should not be played with in any form. The same explanations provided to kids about the kitchen cooking stove and safety should also apply to a wood burning stove heater.
Children are captivated with fire. As you are loading a wood burning stove with either logs or pellets, this becomes an ideal time to discuss with them the hazards. You dont want a kid to be terrified of the wood burning stove, but at the same time, you do want to impart a healthy respect for the appliance.
Older kids can assist with wood burning stove chores, such as bringing in fire wood or pellets. They can also help sweep up the area or engage younger kids while the parent is occupied with the stove. Other chores, such as loading the stove or clearing the ash pan, is best left to older teens or grownups.
Another concern with wood burning stoves, not just for kids, is the pollutants put into the indoor air by the stove. If a kid has an allergic reaction to smoke or asthma, a wood burning stove can make an attack more likely. Care needs to be taken that such a kid is out of the room when the stove is opened for filling or for cleaning the ash pan.