Who is responsible for fireplace damage?

By lisa

Hello! I am a tenant renting a house in a cold climate where in the middle of winter the old gas furnace has a hard time heating the house. When we first moved in there were record low temps that burst pipes, and we were instructed to keep the house a certain temp to prevent more freezes. On one of the first times we used the fireplace to supplement the heat, an ember managed to pass under the closed screen and burn a mark on the wood floor where it landed. Now the landlord is insisting that were responsible for the floor repair. that feels very wrong to hold us accountable for a damage that happened from heating the house responsibly with equipment provided. There is no mention in the lease of fireplace usage or responsibilty/liability. Are there any laws or tenant rights that could help in this case?

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