Chimney Fire After Cleaning

Clean creosote buildup from all parts of the chimney.

Chimney fire after cleaning.

Creosote removal is vital to your safety. If there is no chimney cap install one to prevent more animal invasions to your chimney. Luckily chimney fires are almost entirely preventable with regular maintenance a clean chimney simply cannot catch fire. Remember however that homes are replaceable but lives are not.

Since that area is hard to reach in some fireplaces check yours to see if you can reach into it and still have room to maneuver a brush. As the damage caused by chimney fire can vary so widely it is important to have your chimney system evaluated by a professional chimney sweep as soon as possible after a chimney fire. Regular cleaning of a chimney can reduce the risk of a chimney fire but even if you choose to clean the chimney yourself you should also have the chimney inspected by a professional on a regular basis. These sticky deposits are called creosote.

Preventing future chimney fires. Put a chimney fire extinguisher into the fireplace or wood stove close the glass doors on the fireplace close the air inlets on the wood stove use a garden hose to spray down the roof not the chimney so the fire won t spread to. See cleaning the chimney yourself below. Make sure a csia certified chimney sweep inspects your solid fuel venting system annually and sweeps and repairs it whenever needed.

Your sweep may have other maintenance recommendations depending on how you use your fireplace or stove. Your chimney sweep should both inspect the chimney and prevent further damage and fires all in one visit. Most chimney fires start in the smoke chamber smoke shelf area so it s the most important area to clean figure a. This cleaning will help create a safer operation of your system during the heating system.

Besides you must have your chimney cleaned each year. Creosote is a highly flammable substance that builds up inside your chimney or liner as a result of burning wood. Another idea to try out when it s time to clean your chimney is a chimney sweep log. This highly flammable dark brown substance coats chimney walls when by products of a fire smoke vapor and unburned wood condense as they move.

Immediately remove any nests or other debris you find inside the chimney. It take only a small accumulation of creosote glazing to create the potential for a chimney fire. A fireplace cleaning log helps to prevent chimney fires and they help remove debris deposited along the chimney walls. Professional inspection will check for creosote as well as blockage damage and structural problems.

If you find creosote on either the firebox or chimney remove it before lighting another fire this usually only needs to be done once a year. Clean chimneys don t catch fire.