Is this fireplace safe after removal? All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[wezzoid]

This fireplace had a gas fire with back boiler. I don't want a fire anymore, going to make it tidy and put a houseplant in there or something.

Where the equipment was originally installed they must have taken a lot of brickwork out of the right hand side to do it. All there is now is the single skin of bricks at the front, and on the right side they've loosely piled in bricks and cemented them, which doesn't look to me like it'd bear a lot of load.

The opening was reduced. I chipped away to reveal the extent of the original concrete lintel, and below that there's some bricks stuffed in loosely, cemented, and flat steel lintel at the bottom to support that, which seems fine i suppose.

https://imgur.com/a/lPv7sVq

[stoneyboy]

Hi wezzoid,
Provided 2 brick thick return walls have been left either side there's the not much to worry about.
Regards S

[wezzoid]

i had a bit of a google but i don't understand what a return wall is in this context. My pictures show it's only one brick thick, but maybe im thinking of the wrong bit.

Better photos:
https://imgur.com/a/W9xrpC1

[stoneyboy]

Hi wezzoid,
Either side of the fireplace opening you have return or buttress walls. The left one which is 2 bricks thick is fine but the right one has had nearly all the bricks removed.
YOU FIREPLACE IS NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND.
Before you remove any more bricks you must reconstruct the right buttress to be 2 bricks thick (so it duplicates the left one) and have allowed time for the mortar to set.
Regards S

[wezzoid]

thanks stoney. I was a absolutely not going to remove any more bricks, i just wasn't sure if it needed reinforcing and how to do that if it does