U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 29

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29: CHIMNEY SAFETY

Profile America — Wednesday, September 29th.  According to the song "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from "Mary Poppins,"  a soot-covered chimney sweep is a sign of good luck.  While there may be fewer chimneys today than in old London, just over half of new homes in the U.S. are built with at least one fireplace.  And in 280,000 homes, a fireplace is the main source of heat, many with wood-burning inserts.  With the heating season nearing, homeowners should make sure their chimneys are free of obstructions and creosote buildup from past seasons.  That's why this is National Chimney Safety Week.  To underline the importance of this maintenance, there are  414,000 residential fires in the U.S. each year, many of them originating in improperly maintained chimneys. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 936, 953, 344

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau