fireplace

Fireplaces are open hearths where wood is burned in order to heat the space adjacent to it. The heat provided by a single fireplace can generally keep several rooms sufficiently warm, but cannot serve a large building by itself.

A fireplace is distinguished from a wood stove, which burns wood in a closed container and distributes the heat, usually through ducts, often to a larger interior space.

The open wood-burning hearth is the defining feature. A closed wood oven remains a different heating arrangement even when it serves the same room.