Absolute 100% nonsense..
I can heat my entire split entry ranch home with my wood burning stove in the basement.
It does make the basement uncomfortable and to warm to hangout in.
I wouldn't own a home in the upper midwest,without some type of fireplace to heat my home, if all else fails.. Upper Midwest and East coasts are cold mother ****ers in the winter time.

wood burning stoves are awesome. Fireplaces are more or less just to look pretty.

I have a Lopi woodstove but I only use it when it is single digits or lower to keep my gas bill stable as it will get too hot in the house otherwise. The thing heats 2500 sq ft no problem and we only have birch and spruce up here. They are good to have in the event of a power outage or furnace failure. Once you get the modern ones up to temp there's hardly any smoke and ash is minimal and the ash is a good addition to garden compost. It also has a cooktop if you are a prepper type.

They will keep you and the family from freezing to death.

Looking into those electric movable fireplace mantles right now.

I have one for sale. Gonna try and send pics and info to your Facebook message thing. If it doesn't work? Bugs has pics and info he can send you. $300.00 is what the man is asking for it. New and never used

I have something that slides and covers the flute when I'm not using it.

But I have a wood burning stove.

My carbon footprint is yuuuuuge. I don't pay much to heat my house.

Burning wood is carbon neutral. And if you are burning dry wood in an epa stove, you are pretty much smoke-free. I burn pretty much 24/7 through winter as primary heat.

Very, very slight smell. Most of the smell is just after you get it going.