At the beginning of the heating season, sometime in the fall, another good thing to think about is the gentle break-in (warming) of your stove (heater).  The whole summer has gone by and the heater has not been used at all.  It has gone completely cold and now needs to be gently brought back into use.  The problem in  starting with too intense a fire is a phenomenon called thermal shock or thermal stress.

The heater needs to be heated slowly with several smaller, less intense fires to allow the bricks and mortar to heat slowly.  When a heater is heated too quickly, or over-heated, it can be damaged severly from thermal shock.  When bricks are heated too quickly  or too intensely they can break or warp.

Both of these things  will greatly reduce the lifespan of your heater and may make operation a hazzard.  So, at the beginning of the heating season, be kind to your heater and  remember to start with some smaller fires.