Call today to set up an appointment with our team. This … If you’re looking to upgrade your wood-heating appliance, contact Obadiah’s today and we will help you find the safest solution for your needs! Chimney fires occur when debris catches fire inside the chimney. Registered in England, UK, we plant a tree for every stove we supply, If you have a stove then shut all air vents and flue dampers to reduce the chimney fire's oxygen supply. What to do if you have a chimney fire. If your chimney thermometer reads above 450ºF, you’re at risk of a chimney fire, particularly if your flue hasn’t been cleared of creosote recently. If you think you have a chimney fire, the worst thing you can do is sit back and hope it works itself out. When a fire is lit in the fireplace, its heat rises up through, taking with it smoke and unburnt particles of flammable substances which condense and stick to the sides of the cooler chimney. If you experience a chimney fire and it is safe to do so, close the damper and any doors on the fireplace … If you notice them, call 911 and put out the fire in the fireplace if you can do so safely. What to Do if You Have a Chimney Fire. When it comes to DIY chimney cleaning, the obvious question is- what to burn to clean chimney, then rock salt is the first answer. When you have an open fire or wood burning stove in your home, the job of the chimney is to provide an outlet for the by-products of burning whatever fuel you are using. We had this page checked over by Avon Fire Brigade - our thanks! After igniting, chimineas can reach full burn in 15 minutes, giving off a great deal of heat. This will almost always cause irreparable damage to your chimney and stove, requiring expensive repairs before they can be put back into service. My first interior attack on a house fire was resulting from a chimney fire. If you aren’t on the lookout for warning signs, you could unknowingly put your home and family at risk. Because each chimney fire is unique, there is no one size fits all solutions as to what repairs are needed after a chimney fire. Posted on: August 31, 2013. Chimney repair after a fire. A sudden intense increase of the fire in the firebox due to the intense drafting caused by the fire in the chimney (think: firestorm). You always hear us talking about the danger of chimney fires. When you light a fire, unburnt gasses from the combustion process travel up your chimney where they are released into the outside air. And never burn household trash, cardboard or Christmas trees in your fireplace. The chimney fire will then seek oxygen from the nearest available source - usually the stove or fireplace - which means that the fire can come out of the bottom of the chimney. What to Do if You Have a Chimney Fire. Regular maintenance and inspections. Title: What To Do Chimney Fire; Date: November 10, 2017; Size: 69kB; Resolution: 834px x 862px; More Galleries of Countryside Fire Protection District. What causes a chimney fire? During the winter season, the chimney is exposed to heat, fumes, and many types of dust particles that collect inside. To do this close the damper on the chimney or any other pipes to attempt to smother the fire this way. Your flue is made of metal and many stoves are constructed from steel. Can't find the info you need? One of the most common signs of a chimney fire is something that you won’t even notice from inside your home: Sparks or flames emitting from the top of the flue. But do you do when you have a chimney fire: Do NOT panic! Call the fire brigade - 999. Action: What to do after a small fire in your chimney. When you start to see flames coming out of the chimney you know that the chimney fire is near it's end. Once outside, take a garden hose and spray water on the roof around the chimney to prevent the roof from catching on fire . As a wood heat user or stove owner, there are many things you can do to prevent chimney fires, but even responsible home owners can be caught off guard. If you have a stove then shut all air vents and flue dampers to reduce the chimney fire's oxygen supply. Knowing how to handle a chimney fire after it starts could save your home and your life. Put Out the Fire in the Grate. It’s okay for a chimney to become hot when you have a fire going, but only to a point. In order to combat against a cold flue, you can prime the chimney before you light a full fire by burning some newspaper, kindling, or lighting the gas starter (if equipped) before the actual logs. The bricks go up around the tile flue liners, but at the top you need something to stop the rain and snow from just falling in around the tiles. A chimney is a deadly place for the animals when the fire is lit. An improper flue selection or bad installation can result in dangerous chimney fires, and it’s important to us that nobody have to go through such a traumatizing experience. First things first, stop using the fireplace. Immediately shut the air damper on the wood stove - do not open the stove - the whole idea is to starve the fire of oxygen! Call us today to learn more about us and our chimney services. Plus, soot and creosote can more easily form on your chimney walls than it can in a chimney liner which means you’ll have to have your chimney cleaned more often. Then call 911 . Every home should have a fire extinguisher ready to use, but we cannot emphasize enough how important they are in homes with wood-burning appliances. First things first, stop using the fireplace. While having a chimney fire is all but inevitable for any wood heat user, there are a number of steps that can be taken to prevent them from being catastrophic. There is a risk that by opening the firebox you will temporarily allow more oxygen into the flue, but the fumes should work to quickly offset that. They had a free standing stove, dumping into an un-lined chimney. Tip a generous amount of sand or baking soda onto the fire. Recognizing a Chimney Fire. So the question is: What should you do? Unfortunately, chimney fires are an all-too-common reality for people who use their fireplace. And that allows creosote to dissolve and bring back proper functionality of your chimney. You will also lessen the chances of any embers taking light after you've put the fire out. If a masonry chimney undergoes expansion, e.g. Lighting a fire after a chimney fire has occurred can put your home and family at serious risk and invite countless threats. Chimney cleaning logs help clear out your chimney and remove creosote. There are ways to clean your chimney yourself (see our tips. The fire in the chimney got so hot that it ignited the walls around it. The real problem is when poorer materials are used or the chimney is improperly installed, and the fire escapes the confines of the chimney. Doing this will warm up the flue and make way for smoke. Chimney cleaning logs are a popular tool that you can put in your fireplace like wood. Chimney fires are serious! Keeping your chimney clean will help prevent chimney fires and structural damage to your property. The professionals here at The Chimney Doctor are ready to help you out every step of the way. This in turn will often destroy your chimney and appliance, and the resulting water vapor could potentially burn your lungs and skin. As these substances move up the chimney they cool down. Stop Using the Fireplace. Chimney fires can burn explosively and are generally noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or passersby. If you realize a chimney fire is occurring, get everyone out of the house, including yourself, and call the fire department. 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