Dealing with a Chimney Fire

This post comes from Sustainable Preparedness Blog (www.SustainablePreparedness.com/index.php/blog )

When heating with wood one of the most important safety precautions to take is to keep creosote build-up from occurring in the chimney/stove pipe.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that creosote is the likely cause of one-fourth of all home heating fires in the United States  – 25,000 fires last year alone.  When unseasoned (inadequately dried) fire wood is burned in a stove the moisture in the wood is turned to a vapor which goes up the chimney/stove pipe.  The farther away from the firebox it gets the cooler the vapor becomes and starts to collect or condense on the inside of the chimney/stove pipe forming creosote build-up. 

Under the right conditions the creosote can ignite creating what is called a “chimney fire” that can get as hot as 2000 degrees Fahrenheit within minutes.  As the chimney fire starts to burn in the chimney/stove pipe it requires more and more oxygen–which is pulled through every crack and crevice in the stove.  A full blown chimney fire can develop, which causes a roaring sound with fire shooting out the top of the chimney/stove pipe.  It can be very difficult to extinguish and if left unattended or if it is unable to be extinguished, a chimney fire can cause the structure to burn to the ground.

One must be diligent in keeping the chimney/stove pipe brushed out (what chimney sweeps do) and burn only well seasoned firewood.  A friend of mine who is a fire chief near the Smoky Mountains told me that they get many chimney fire calls at the beginning of every fall, when people fire up their stoves for the first time of the season.  The cause is usually from people failing to clean out their chimneys/stove pipes during the summer in preparation for the winter. Here is a video clip of how to clean out a chimney:

{mp4}ChimneySweep{/mp4}

My fire chief friend told me that one of the best ways to extinguish a chimney fire is by using a Chimfex fire suppression stick.  He said they keep a box of these on the fire trucks at all times.  The Chimfex stick looks like a typical emergency road flair and is ignited in a similar manner.  Once it is determined that a chimney fire has started, ignite the Chimfex stick, close all air intakes into the stove and open the damper (if there is one).  Then open the door to the firebox of the stove and throw the ignited Chimfex stick into the firebox.  Don’t throw it onto the fire but off to the side. Close the door tightly.  The ignited Chimfex stick gives off oxygen starving fumes that is sucked up the chimney/stove pipe to where the fire is and suffocates the fire in an average of 22 seconds.  Having one or two of these fire suppressing sticks on hand in your home is almost like having a fire truck sitting in your driveway 24/7.  Chimfex sticks can be ordered by going to www.FireHouseStoves.com.

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