Is your home heated by an oil furnace or burner? If so, it could be vulnerable to a puffback. A puffback occurs when an oil burner backfires sending soot throughout your home. It can happen all at once, like a balloon popping, or more gradually, as if someone was holding the end of a balloon and letting the air seep out slowly. Although there is no foolproof way to prevent a puffback, annual inspection and maintenance of your oil burner or furnace can greatly reduce your risk