The wall closest to a wood stove installation should be protected from thermal radiation by a suitable non-combustible cover sheet. This technique is used to protect combustible walls and to afford useful fire resistance to structural columns and non-combustible surfaces made of steel. Fire retardants . The addition of chemicals to combustible materials can control fire behaviour. Material location .
Unwanted ignitions are more than an engineering problem.
Their control is a social problem too. Attitudes towards fire differ widely from one country to another. Canada, with one of the world's worst fire loss records, could with advantage adopt some of the principles of fire protection used in other countries. Responsibility for the location of combustible materials is properly that of the building occupants, owners and users, since they are the prime risk takers. Conclusion Ignition prevention remains the primary means of avoiding fires.