I really appreciate the warnings. Good to know people are looking out for me. I hadn't known about operating a forge in a basement, and will definitely stay away from doing so in the future. Next semester I'm moving to a much smaller house where I doubt I will be able to blacksmith for just that reason.
The basement I'm using is not exactly what I think you guys are picturing. It's actually at ground level - we just call it the basement/dungeon because it's unfurnished concrete and mostly unused (except for some storage). 12 foot roof with windows, concrete floor and walls, and the building is half a city block (150 residents) - lots of space down there. The basement area is designed with special fire precautions because our furnace is down there, so there is a carbon monoxide meter, fire extinguishers, etc. I keep the propane tank disconnected from the forge whenever it's not in use, and use a huge fan we got last year for drying some moldy areas of the foundation last year to circulate air. Also, the forge uses a single burner, and the chamber is 12"x5"x4", so I just have a barbecue propane tank fueling it. I'm trying to be safe, but I'm sure it could be better. I'm always open to criticism, and really appreciate whatever you guys can teach me (especially if I'm doing something stupid and dangerous). Do you think this setup sounds okay? Or still risky? I could do the actual blacksmithing outside on a concrete slab near the house, but I'm kind of concerned about noise complaints from the neighbors.
Thanks,
Oliver