Certain precautions need to be taken before lighting your first fire. Let's start with the firewood. Your best choice is either oak or pecan. Wood should be cut and split and allowed to season for approximately six months. Moisture content creates the opportunity for rapid accumulation of flammable creosote build-up. Secondly, let's talk about the fireplace itself. Everything needs to be in proper working order. A thorough safety inspection can reveal unseen problems. For instance, a misaligned damper will not allow draft and smoke will fill your home. Next, during the off-season, has anything taken place which will cause problems? Migrating swift birds rest in chimneys. The nesting materials could ignite, starting a dangerous chimney fire.