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Chimney Fires
As you snuggle in front of a cozy fire or bask in the warmth of your wood stove, you are taking part in a ritual of comfort and enjoyment handed down through the centuries. The last thing, however, you are likely to be thinking about is the condition of your chimney.
However, if you don’t give some though to it before you light those winter fires, your enjoyment may be short-lived. Why? Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, which damage structures, destroy homes and injure or kill people.
Chimney fires can burn explosively – noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or passerby. Flames or dense smoke may shoot from the top of your chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumbling sound that reminds them of a freight train or a low flying airplane. However, those are the chimney fires that you know about. Slow-burning chimney fires don’t get enough air or have enough fuel to be as dramatic or visible, but the temperature they reach are very high and can cause as much damage to the chimney structure - and nearby combustible parts of the house – as their more spectacular cousins. With proper chimney care, chimney fires are entirely preventable.
Ways from keeping the fire you want…. from starting one you don’t! Chimney fires don’t have to happen. Here are some ways to avoid them:
- Use seasoned wood only (dryness is more important than hard wood versus soft wood considerations).
- Build smaller, hotter fires that burn more completely and produce less smoke.
- Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or Christmas trees; these can spark a chimney fire.
- Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperature where wood stoves are in use, you can adjust burning practices as needed.
- Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.
What to do if you have a chimney fire? If you realize a chimney fire is occurring, follow these steps:
- Get everyone out of the house – including you.
- Call 9-1-1.
For earlier articles in this series, see Firewise Archives.