I cut out an area of cardboard where the pan enters the smoker to avoid having paper within 12 inches of the element. Otherwise paper doesn't burn until 450+ degrees and the Big Chief is around 160 degrees. It's just as important to keep wood chips cleaned off the bottom of the smoker so the fire won't "trail out of the smoker". I also do my smoking inside a disconnected garage to minimize risk to my house.
....However the topic started related to the Big Chief smoker and as such I believe it was designed to hot smoke fish. I can't find my booklet but as I recall it describes how you must bring up temp to around 150 degrees to bind the proteins. This is hot smoking. It also describes how you can cold smoke with a Big Chief by putting wood blocks on the top of the smoker (with the lid off) and setting the rack on top of the blocks over the top of the smoker with the box over it. This is cold smoking.
After Big Chief smoker elements get older and/or due to cold weather the same temps cannot be reached without providing an insulating blanket to conserve available heat.
All I really know is that my Big & Little Chief smokers have been putting out out some kick-arse smoked fish for more than 20 years. Standard equipment for a fishing addict.