Location of firewood

Always try to have the firewood stacked and stored away from the house. Also have the wood  stacked off the ground to prevent wood decay. Have the wood covered with a tarp or any other cover to prevent it from getting wet. 

Always burn seasoned firewood

The burning of fresh or green wood will cause the buildup of larger amounts of creosote inside the walls of your chimney. The buildup of creosote can cause a fire inside your chimney. Also, the burning of fresh or green wood will cause your firewood to smoke and smolder. 

Starting a fire and maintaining the heat

Contrary to popular belief, you will get the majority of your heat not from your flame but from the coals of the firewood. The building and maintaining of coals is essential to providing you with the most amount of heat. 
* Start the fire with kindling and with a soft wood
* Gradually build up a flame and place a hard wood on top
* When a bed of hot coals appears, gradually put a one or two pieces of hardwood on top to maintain the bed of coals. 

Never over fill your chimney

Do not over fill your chimney with firewood because this can cause some pieces to possibly roll out and damage your carpet, tile or anything else around the fireplace.