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Chimney Fire Prevention
Introduction:
Chimney fire prevention is an essential part of
burning wood. On a freezing cold winter night when you are snuggled
next to the warm wood stove and happen to hear the roar of what
sounds like a freight train coming through the house, guess what, you
have a chimney fire.
A quick run outside to look at the top of your
chimney will confirm this fact as there will be flames streaking out of
the top of your chimney along with a rush of black soot deposits. The
first thing you need to do is cut off all air to your woodstove by
closing the chimney damper that may be open. This will starve the fire of oxygen
and the flame will subside almost immediately. The second thing to do is
call 911 and report that you have a chimney fire.
Now that the chimney fire is out and there is no
more danger of a secondary fire you have to ask yourself why was there a
chimney fire. After all, the chimney is made of masonry which does not
burn. The simple answer is because the chimney has not been recently
cleaned. Dirty chimneys cause chimney fires, which can damage the
chimney structure, destroy homes, and injure or kill people. If you are
burning more that 2 or 3 cord of seasoned wood each year your chimney
needs to be cleaned once a year. However, if you are burning large
amounts of wood or non-seasoned wood your chimney needs to be cleaned
more often.
 Non-seasoned
wood is wood that has more than 10% moisture by weight. It burns at a
lower temperature than seasoned wood and produces large amounts of
creosote that sticks to the sides of the chimney. As it dries it builds
a web of dried creosote that is highly combustible. It is this dried
creosote that burns in a chimney fire. It burns at a very hot
temperature, as high as 2,000 degrees. As it burns it sucks oxygen from
below through the open dampers on your stove. Normally chimney fires are
very short in duration. As soon as the creosote is burned the fire is
diminished and goes out. If the structure of the chimney is not damaged
there is no secondary fire.
Creosote is easy to detect in your chimney. Use a
mirror and look up the inside of the chimney. If the chimney is clean
you should be able to see an unobstructed passage to the top of the
chimney viewing a bright sky at the top. If the view is obscured it is
because the chimney is dirty and requires cleaning.
Creosote will appear as black or
brown honeycomb on the sides of the chimney liner wall. Conditions other
than burning non-seasoned wood causes the buildup of creosote such as;
restricted air supply and cooler-than-normal chimney temperatures will
contribute to creosote buildup in your chimney. If the wood burns too
slowly (cool) the chimney will remain cool causing a low draft which
will not permit the venting of the smoke and waste particles out the
chimney. This makes a cool smoldering fire and contributes to the
creosote.
Chimney fire prevention is not difficult. As a DIY
project here are some tips
to avoid them:
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Use seasoned woods only. Seasoned wood is wood that is less than 10%
moisture by weight.
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Build smaller, hotter fires that burn more completely and produce
less smoke.
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Never burn trash in your wood stove such as cardboard boxes or
wrapping paper.
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Install a stovepipe thermometer to help monitor flue temperature.
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Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.
Remember if you have a chimney fire close the
chimney damper on the stove or stove pipe immediately. Once the fire is
starved from the oxygen source it will go out on its own very quickly.
Do not use your wood stove again until the chimney has been leaned
by a chimney sweep.
Related articles:
Chimney Sweeping | How to Clean a Chimney
Cleaning a Woodstove Pipe
Fireplace Efficiency
Fireplace and Woodstove Safety
Gas Fireplaces
How to Buy a Wood Stove
Starting Fireplace Fires
Wood Burning Stove
Wood Heat Cost Comparison
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