The only way to completely and safely remove paint from brick is to use a caustic paint stripper.
Get paint off brick fireplace.
Hire a professional to sandblast the brick.
Step 3 spray wd 40 on the paint.
A gel paint stripper for brick like soygel or citristrip can be used to remove paint from.
Then wait at least 30 minutes before peeling the sheeting off.
Paint stripper is a thick paste that is applied with a brush or putty knife.
The gel or paste paint remover will have softened the paint as well as adhered to the fabric so that the paint will come off as you peel.
Removing paint from brick use the same small area you used to test for lead to test your paint stripper.
Peel the strips of fabric gently off of the surface of the brick.
There should be a thick layer of gel on each brick.
Tips if you plan to strip paint off brick fireplace just use soygel it worked amazingly well and not having to use gloves or a mask for this 27 hour project was amazing.
First lay down a series of drop cloths or some thick plastic sheeting to catch the peeling and flaking paint that will fall away from the brick.
Use a lot of gel per brick.
After covering your brick with the stripper layer plastic sheeting over it to adhere it to the brick.