ALL FIRED UP HOT IDEAS FOR THE FIREPLACE STOKE CREATIVITY.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Americans are rekindling an old flame - the family fireplace. Since the terrorist attacks, people have found comfort in hearth and home. And this trend has not gone unnoticed by those in the home building and decorating community.

``It's clear that people are staying home more since Sept. 11 and buying more fireplace-related items because we've tracked the trend in our weekly sales surveys,'' said Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association spokeswoman Leslie Wheeler.

Whether or not they're actually used, there's something warm and cozy about a fireplace that's purely psychological, observes Gopal Ahluwalia, director of research for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C.

Even in sunny Los Angeles.

``In California, you cannot sell a house without a fireplace, even though you probably don't need one more than three days a year,'' said Ahluwalia.

Ray Pearl, executive director of the Greater Los Angeles/Ventura chapter of the Building Industry Association, which represents 400 home builders and related services such as escrow companies, agreed with Ahluwalia's assessment.

``People in Southern California want a fireplace even if they never light it ... and when they're looking at new homes and condos they expect to see a fireplace - just like they expect to see a bathtub or dishwasher,'' he said.

While older homes usually have the fireplace in the living room, Pearl and Ahluwalia have noted a location shift in newer homes. If there's only one fireplace, it's being moved from the front room to the family room where everybody can gather and not worry about soiling the fancy furniture reserved for entertaining company.

And many of the newest fireplaces are cooking with gas, which is easier to clean, kinder to the allergy-prone and instantly gratifying with the flick of a switch, says Ahluwalia.

Although traditional gas logs painted to look like real logs are the most popular, there's always something new to stoke up the hearth. In previous years it was lava rock; this year it's Fire On Ice, a specially formulated colored glass product (choices include jade to black opal) that the flames dance on. Besides looking more dramatic, owner Mark Georgantas says, it's more heat-efficient because glass reflects the heat and requires less gas to warm a room, while ceramic logs absorb heat. But bigger flames don't come cheap. The L.A.-based Fire On Ice company charges about $1,000 for the system to be installed in an average-size gas-fueled hearth.

Gas or wood-burning, fireplaces have ignited a new decorating trend that's linked to childhood memories of roasting marshmallows by the fire. Wrought-iron screens with silhouettes of bears playing in the woods and dog-themed andirons protecting the hearth are as hot as their matching wrought-iron pokers.

``What's in is anything that looks old or hand-forged, such as iron, steel or the newer pewter designs,'' reports Charles Hulse, manager of DeForest's Patio Center & Fireside Shop in Woodland Hills. Hulse says folding screens have become more popular with local homeowners not only because they're half the price, but because they appear more rustic. If you've already got a brass-finished screen, Hulse suggests wrought-iron tools with brass trim as a way to create a warmer-looking hearth.

For those not interested in lighting a fire, Restoration Hardware and other retailers are selling wrought-iron candelabras that give the room a romantic feel.

With all this old-fashioned nostalgia, even the modern mantle looks out of place.

``Precast concrete mantles (made to look like hand-carved marble) were in for a while, but now it's back to traditional wood mantles, whether they're painted white or stained in a rich wood tone,'' says Diane McGinnis, owner of Two's Company Interiors in Northridge. The interior designer adds that there's also a return to a red brick or stone fireplace face and hearth to complement the old-fashioned mantle.

Whatever your style preference, throw on a log or hit the gas switch and pass the marshmallows. It's going to be a long winter - even in L.A.

KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING 

The annual tradition of cozying up by a warm fire requires some preparation to ensure a safe fireside gathering.

Clean the chimney and hearth. Make sure the chimney of a wood-burning fireplace or stove is checked for blockages or creosote (a highly flammable, gummy deposit caused by burning unseasoned or green wood) build-up on the interior of chimney walls and the surface of the flue, says Michael Kuhn of HouseMaster home inspection company. Sweeping the chimney is important. Buy a special broom to use, or hire a professional.

A general scrubbing of the hearth and fire screen with a special solution designed to clean brick and concrete is also a good idea, says Brian Peacock, assistant manager of Orchard Supply Hardware in Canoga Park. Be sure to rinse the solution off, too.

Check your chimney cap. ``It's also called a spark arrester, and you want to make sure it's on and in good condition so it will stop sparks from traveling during the Santa Ana winds, and also keep moisture out of the chimney, in addition to birds and branches,'' says Peacock. Fireplaces don't automatically come with a chimney cap, so if you don't see one, you can find them for about $60 at Orchard or other hardware stores.

Check the damper or flue lever. ``Look underneath and pull the lever to see that it easily opens and closes, and then make sure that the nuts and bolts are tight and that there's nothing blocking the opening,'' Peacock says.

Check the log lighter. In gas fireplaces, this device is located underneath the ceramic logs. It should be free of rust and damage. If it hasn't been used for years, Peacock advises calling the Gas Co. to check it out.

Use a screen. Safe hearths always have a screen to keep sparks in and children and pets out.

Burn only logs. Use natural firewood or pre-pressed logs (no more than one at a time), says Peacock, who adds that burning Christmas trees and wrapping paper is highly hazardous as toxic fumes can be released.

Finally, never leave a smoldering fire unattended and always turn off a gas fireplace before going to bed or leaving the house. It's a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in the house and to make sure your smoke detectors are working.

- B.D.

FIRESIDE CHATTER

Never had a fireplace? Or never used the one you've got?

When you're ready to start a fire, you'll need to know what you're talking about at the fireplace shop.

ANDIRON: They're the metal shanks that hold the grate that holds the wood. You can find them in elegant brass or the currently trendy wrought iron.

BELLOWS: A wooden tool that you squeeze to create a blast of air into the fireplace to coax a fire when you're using real logs.

DAMPER PULL: Wood-burning fireplaces have a damper that needs to be open before starting a fire.

DUMMYBOARD: A Victorian-era figure that stands in front of an unused fireplace as a decoration. They're still used in European decor, but a wrought-iron candelabrum on the hearth is a newer option.

GRATE: This is a frame of metal bars for holding the logs in the fireplace.

HEARTH/HEARTH RUG: The flat area at the bottom of the fireplace and beyond the fireplace screen. If it's covered with carpet, you'll need a half-moon-shaped rug to protect the carpeting.

LOG HOLDERS: If you're using real wood, you'll need something to carry them and to store them next to the hearth. You can find copper buckets, wrought-iron hoops and newer leather carriers that slip into metal racks.

SCREENS: You need a screen to prevent sparks from setting the house on fire. The built-in kind is the safest and most expensive, while wrought- iron types that fold around the hearth are the most nostalgic.

TOOLS: Even if you've got a gas log fireplace, a nice set of tools adds a nostalgic touch. The tools - a poker, broom, shovel and tongs - are sold as a set, with a tool stand to display them. Tool sets should complement the fireplace screen.

- B.D.

CAPTION(S):

8 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) ON THE COVER

From ``Better Homes and Gardens the New Decorating Book'' (Meredith, $34.95).

(2 -- color) Folding fireplace screens such as this classic Palladian window design are back, priced at $89.95 in the Plow & Hearth catalog. Similar designs can be found at Deforest's in Woodland Hills.

(3 -- color) When the weather is too warm to light a fire, you can still create a cozy fireside ambience with this Simon-Claire pillar screen that holds five candles. It's $99 at Restoration Hardware.

(4 -- color) A new idea in log holders is this leather carrier that slips into a hearthside wrought-iron rack, $139.95 in the Plow & Hearth catalog.

(5 -- color) Northwoods fire screen with bear and cub reflects an old- fashioned fireplace screen theme that's sparking new interest. Available in the Plow & Hearth catalog, $139.95. To order, call [phone].

(6 -- color) A tracery of leafy vines gives this fireplace set a retro mood. The collection includes a hinged three-panel screen, $149; log holder, $79; tool set, $79; all from the Pottery Barn catalog. To order, call [phone].

(7 -- color) Fire tools this year are more traditional in design, with only an accent of brass. Available in the Plow & Hearth catalog and at local home improvement stores.

(8) Black wrough iron gets a shot of sophistication with a satin nickel trim, $235, and complements the matching black iron and leather log carrier, $150; both at Restoration Hardware.

Box:

(1) KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING (see text)

(2) FIRESIDE CHATTER (see text)