Know the information about chimney fires

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Madison Co. Fire Department is reminding everyone to play it safe when using your chimney to heat your home in cooler weather.

Your chimney – and the smoke outlet around it – add an architectural interest to your home, but its real function is to safely move dangerous smoke gases from your fireplace, wood stove or stove out of your home. A chimney helps keep your household air breathable … just like your windows and your bathroom, attic and kitchen hoods. In contrast to other exhaust air points in your home, wood-burning stoves require special care.

Cuddle up in front of a cozy fire or sunbathe in the warmth of your wood-burning stove, take part in a ritual of comfort and enjoyment that has been handed down through the centuries. The last thing you probably think about is the condition of your chimney. However, if you don’t think about it before lighting these winter fires, your enjoyment may be short-lived. Why? Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, damage structures, destroy houses, and injure or kill people.

Nobody greets a log fire

A chimney fire in action can be impressive. The following signs of a chimney fire have been described:

• Loud cracking and cracking
• Lots of thick smoke and
• An intense, hot smell

Chimney fires can burn explosively – loud and dramatic enough to be spotted by neighbors or passers-by. Flames or thick smoke can shoot out of the chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumble that reminds them of a freight train or a low-flying airplane. However, these are just the chimney fires you know. Slow-burning chimney fires don’t get enough air or fuel to be dramatic or visible. But the temperatures they reach are very high and can damage the chimney structure – and nearby combustible parts of the house – just as badly as their more spectacular cousins. With the right care of the chimney system, chimney fires can be completely avoided.

Creosote And Chimney Fires: What You Need To Know

Fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to safely contain wood fires while providing warmth for a home. The chimneys that serve them have the task of removing the combustion by-products – the substances that arise when wood is burned. These include smoke, water vapor, gases, unburned wood particles, hydrocarbons, tar mist and various minerals. When these substances leave the fireplace or wood stove and flow into the relatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs. The resulting residue, which sticks to the inner walls of the chimney, is known as creosote.

Creosote has a black or brown appearance. It can be crispy and flaky … tarry, dripping, and sticky … or shiny and hard. Often all forms appear in a chimney system. Creosote is easily flammable in any form. If it collects in sufficient quantities – and the internal flue gas temperature is high enough – a chimney fire can result. Certain conditions promote the build-up of creosote. Restricted air supply, unseasoned wood, and chimney temperatures that are cooler than normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the build-up of creosote on the chimney walls. The air supply can be restricted by closing the glass doors, by not opening the flap wide enough and by the lack of sufficient fresh air to quickly convey the heated smoke into the chimney (the longer the smoke “dwell time” in the chimney, the more likely it is it is that creosote forms). The air supply to a stove can be restricted by closing the stove flap or the air inlets too early or too tightly. Burning unseasoned wood – since so much energy is initially used to drive away the water trapped in the cells of the logs – keeps the smoke that arises cooler than when using seasoned wood. In the case of wood-burning stoves, overloading the firebox with wood in order to achieve a longer burning time also contributes to the formation of creosote.

How chimney fires hurt chimneys

If a chimney fire occurs in a masonry chimney – whether it is an older, unlined or tiled chimney, in order to comply with current safety regulations – the high temperatures at which they burn can (approx. Collapse and damage the external masonry ”. Most of the time there will be thermal shock and tile cracking and grout dislodging, providing a path for the flames to reach the combustible wooden frame of the house.This event is extremely dangerous, call 911 immediately.

Nine signs of a chimney fire

Because a chimney that has been damaged by a chimney fire can endanger a house and its residents, and a chimney fire can start without anyone noticing, it’s important to have your chimney regularly inspected by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep. Here are the signs a professional chimney sweep should look out for:

• “Bloated” or “honey-combed” creosote
• Warped metal of the flap, smoke chamber connection pipe made of metal or factory-made metal chimney
• Broken or collapsed chimney tiles or tiles with missing large chunks
• Discolored and / or distorted rain cap
• Heat damaged TV antenna attached to the chimney
• Creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or floor
• Roofing material damaged by hot creosote
• Cracks in the exterior masonry
• Evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints in masonry or tile covering

If you suspect a chimney fire has occurred, call a CSIA-certified Chimney Sweep® for a professional assessment. If your suspicions are confirmed, a certified sweep can make recommendations on how the system can be brought back into compliance with safety standards. Depending on the situation, some mantels may have to be replaced, a new liner system installed or an entire chimney converted. Every situation is unique and dictates its own solution.

Proper maintenance

Clean chimneys don’t catch fire. Make sure a CSIA certified chimney sweep inspects your solid fuel ventilation system annually and cleans and repairs it if necessary. Depending on how you use your fireplace or stove, your debris may have different maintenance recommendations. CSIA recommends that you consult with CSIA-certified chimney sweeps as they are regularly tested for their understanding of the complexities of chimneys and ventilation systems.

More information can be found at: http://www.csia.org/hom…/the_facts_about_chimney_fires.aspx