I'm up early, wide awake, after Poppy stood up beside my bed this morning (nudging me with front feet and nose). I thought she had to go out, but she woke me because she didn't like the fire in the fireplace. Since I hadn't intended for one, I didn't like it either! Last night I had a pedestal candle burning in the fireplace, sitting on a plank across the fire log thing, and I apparently didn't notice it was still burning at bedtime. It looks like the candle wick burned through the candle bottom and ignited the plank when the wax was gone. Thing is, there was a wrought iron candle stand with five fat pedestal candles in there, and they were melting and had that plank really going.

I put it out and cleaned up the melted wax, but the flue had been closed so it smells like a candle wax factory in here this morning. It wasn't particularly smoky - even with the flu closed air still gets through (that's why the house is so cold all of the time!)

SRS