CHIMNEY FIRE SAFETY AND PREVENTION
With the chilly weather we can smell the neighborhood chimneys more and more each day. We want you to stay warm and cozy, but we want you to stay safe as well!
CHIMNEY FIRE SAFETY AND PREVENTION
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), there are 22,300 chimney fires annually. Without the necessary precautions, chimney fires have the potential to damage structures, entirely destroy homes and even harm your family or neighbors.
WHAT DOES A CHIMNEY FIRE SOUND LIKE?
Indications of a chimney fire include loud cracking and popping noises, a lot of dense smoke and an intense, hot smell. Although chimney fires mostly burn explosively, they can sometimes burn slowly – you may not even notice you have one until it starts to do serious damage.
WHAT IS CREOSOTE?
Smoke, water vapor, gases, unburned wood particles, hydrocarbon, tar fog and minerals are meant to exit the chimney. Once condensation occurs, it creates a sticky, thick residue known as creosote that sticks to the inner walls of your chimney instead. Creosote is highly combustible and a buildup could easily spark a chimney fire.
HOW CAN I PREVENT A CHIMNEY FIRE?
Regularly follow a few simple steps, and it will be much easier keep your chimney safe from catching fire.
Clean your chimney regularly. Getting rid of excess creosote helps ensure that your chimney doesn’t spontaneously catch fire. You can do this annually with a simple chimney brush, an extension pipe, and chemical creosote removers, or you can call professionals to deep clean your chimney for you.
Never put trash, Christmas trees or cardboard in your fire. These items can cause increased smoke and creosote buildup and even spark a chimney fire.
Only use completely dry or seasoned wood. Unseasoned wood requires more energy to burn, which means cooler smoke will flow up your chimney and deposit higher levels of creosote. Moist wood also won’t burn as hot and will cause more smoke, accelerating the buildup of creosote in your chimney. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 6 months for freshly cut wood to be dry enough to burn.
HOW DO I PUT OUT A CHIMNEY FIRE?
In the event that your chimney does catch fire, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Only after you call for help should you try through the following steps, provided that it’s safe to act:
Alert everyone in the house that there’s a fire and direct them to move outside immediately.
Use a chimney fire extinguisher. Specially designed to combat chimney fires, a chimney fire extinguisher is your first line of defense. Carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before use.
Close the doors. Cutting off the oxygen supply may suffocate the fire before it gets out of hand.
Check for sparks outside that may shower out of the top of your chimney. In certain circumstances, the sparks could ignite your roof or nearby combustibles, so it’s best to keep the fire localized.
Use a garden hose to spray water around the chimney and reduce the risk of your roof catching fire if firefighters haven’t arrived yet and you aren’t putting yourself in added danger.
Be Safe!
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