The first chilly evening has a way of making the stove look ready simply because the logs are beside it. A summer without use is a good reason to check what you cannot see, as well as polish the glass.

This is a preparation job while the appliance is cold. It is not a guide to repairing a flue or deciding that a damaged stove is safe to use.

When was the chimney last swept, what fuel have you been burning and what did the sweep recommend? If the answer lives in an old email, find it before lighting the first fire.

HETAS recommends sweeping at least twice a year when burning wood and at least once a year for smokeless fuels. It identifies the period before the heating season, and after a prolonged spell without use, as sensible times. Your appliance, fuel and pattern of use may need a more specific schedule.

Book a competent sweep and arrange servicing where required. Tell them about smoke entering the room, unusual smells, poor burning or any change since the last visit. “It was fine last winter” is useful history, but not a substitute for checking its condition now.

Follow the appliance manual for routine cleaning and inspection. Look for visible damage to the glass, lining or door seals, and note anything loose or deteriorated. HETAS’s maintenance guidance covers the components that need attention between heating seasons.

If something looks wrong, ask the service technician to assess it. Do not patch a suspect flue joint, modify a seal or improvise a replacement part to get through the evening.

Clear the hearth and surrounding area of things that have migrated there over summer. Follow the manufacturer’s required clearances for furniture, baskets and other combustible items. A decorative photograph is no guide to how close your particular stove can safely sit to them.

Combustion needs air. HETAS’s Burn Better advice stresses the importance of adequate ventilation and following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Check that permanent ventilation openings have not been covered by furniture or blocked during decorating. Do not close them to cure a draught. If you have made the home more airtight since the appliance was assessed, mention the work to the installer or service technician.

Use the fuel specified for the appliance. When buying wood or manufactured solid fuel, look for appropriate Ready to Burn certification and check what is permitted locally. Do not assume that a bag labelled for another type of appliance belongs in yours.

Keep the operating instructions handy, especially if you have forgotten how the air controls are meant to be used. Starving a fire of air to keep it smouldering is not a sensible shortcut to an overnight fire.

A carbon-monoxide alarm deserves a place on the checklist before the fire is lit. Check its position, expiry information and test procedure against its instructions. A smoke alarm and a carbon-monoxide alarm do different jobs.

HETAS says CO alarms should be tested regularly as instructed and must not replace maintenance of the appliance and chimney. If an alarm has expired or will not test correctly, resolve that before using the fire.

If a CO alarm sounds or you suspect fumes, get everyone outside and seek urgent advice. Do not go back in until told it is safe. The NHS advises urgent medical help for suspected carbon-monoxide poisoning; call 999 for severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion or loss of consciousness. For a chimney fire, get out and call 999.

Once the sweep, service and checks are dealt with, the pleasant part is straightforward: a clear hearth, the right fuel and a fire used as its maker intended. The reassuring detail is the work done before anyone strikes a match.