# How do you know you are having a chimney fire?



## RORY12553

How do you know when you have a chimney fire? New to all this and want to know some signs.


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## pen

Often times people will report hearing the flue roar, like a train.  You may also hear creosote "raining" down the pipe as it breaks free from the walls of the chimney.  Sparks / excessive smoke from the chimney or a glowing cap can also indicate a chimney fire.

Here is a link that you may be interested in.

http://www.csia.org/HomeownerResources/ChimneySafetyInfo/ChimneyFireFacts/tabid/126/Default.aspx

pen


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## JonP

Two main signs are if you hear a roaring sound in your flue and if you see sparks (or fire) coming out of your chimney.  I have, fortunately, never experienced one but I am a firefighter and these are things homeowners have reported when we arrive and things that some people on this site have described.  The two main avoidance strategies are to burn only seasoned wood and to clean the chimney regularly.


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## RORY12553

I get a clicking sound every once in a while


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## pen

Perhaps remind you of the sound your car's exhaust makes after you shut it off?  If so, it's just the metal expanding and contracting.

In another thread someone described what to be concerned about as hearing sleet or hail coming down the pipe.  I think that is a good description.

pen


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## DexterDay

RORY12553 said:
			
		

> I get a clicking sound every once in a while



Is that the stove heating up? 

What stove do you have? Is it a Steel plate stove??

Metal makes strange noises when it heats (expands) and cools (contracts).


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## Trktrd

I have a plate steel stove and yes, they do talk to you.


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## swestall

One thing is that the smoke coming out (outside) will have a distinct smell to it, more like a chemical than regular wood smoke.
And there may be a lot of it.  
The first thing to do is choke it down to starve it of oxygen. Many keep a Chimney fire supressant handy. It is a chemical that chokes the chimney fire.  If you can choke it the outcome may be better than other methods as you may save the flue. 
It is always better to have a SS liner as they survive these incidents better. 
EPA stoves keep cleaner flues and are far less suceptable to creosote build up that causes C fires.


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## eclecticcottage

pen said:
			
		

> Often times people will report hearing the flue roar, like a train.  You may also hear creosote "raining" down the pipe as it breaks free from the walls of the chimney.  Sparks / excessive smoke from the chimney or a glowing cap can also indicate a chimney fire.
> 
> Here is a link that you may be interested in.
> 
> http://www.csia.org/HomeownerResources/ChimneySafetyInfo/ChimneyFireFacts/tabid/126/Default.aspx
> 
> pen



I just read through that link and noticed this, which I am confused by "Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or _Christmas trees_; these can spark a chimney fire ."

Christmas trees?  Are they actually refering to stuffing an entire tree in a fireplace?!  Or the branches?  I can see if you have creosote buildup, how that could, since those burn HOT.

I have to say the idea of a slow burning chimney fire is kinda scary, since you probably woouldn't even know it was occuring....I didn't know that was possible, I figured once creosote got going it wouldn't be "slow burning".


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## argus66

i kno a lot of people burn the stops of x-mass trees  maybe they mean that.


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## Swedishchef

Everyone says that a chimney fire sounds like a train roaring. I just would like to point something out: my stove has a bypass damper. When I light the stove, I keep the bypass open. It helps warm the flu fast. However, you must close the damper once the fire is going decent. I usually keep it open for 4-6 minutes from the moment my supercedars take to my bar b q lighter. However, the odd time I have been dumb (left for 5 mins) and have come downstairs to that "roaring" sound. In my case, that sound is simply the dtrong draft pulling air like a pig through the stove "woomf woomf woomf". But that also means "close the bypass damper you a$$ before you burn your house down". And that is why they make the damper lever removable so kids can't play with it.

IF you have flames coming out of your chimney, there's a fire. Large sounds that don't stop coming from the chimney even when the stove is turned down can be a fire...

Good luck
A


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## n3pro

I love what you find on Youtube sometimes.  

[youtube]http://youtu.be/6mmMlHngngU[/youtube]


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## eclecticcottage

Uh, yikes.  This came up in the sidebar, chimfex vid-too bad they did a drawing demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcw1qx7t1ig&feature=related


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## Fake coal burner

argus66 said:
			
		

> i kno a lot of people burn the stops of x-mass trees  maybe they mean that.


Fake Christmas or real ones ?


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## pen

eclecticcottage said:
			
		

> I just read through that link and noticed this, which I am confused by "Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or _Christmas trees_; these can spark a chimney fire ."
> 
> Christmas trees?  Are they actually refering to stuffing an entire tree in a fireplace?!  Or the branches?  I can see if you have creosote buildup, how that could, since those burn HOT.
> 
> I have to say the idea of a slow burning chimney fire is kinda scary, since you probably woouldn't even know it was occuring....I didn't know that was possible, I figured once creosote got going it wouldn't be "slow burning".



Cardboard burns very hot very fast and it's easy to fill a firebox w/ flames by burning it sending active flames up the flue, or just plain getting the flue too hot, and getting a chimney fire as a result.  3 of the last 3 chimney fires that acquaintances of mine had, were started by burning cardboard.  Obviously, poor practices prior led to the cardboard starting the fire, but you get the idea.

In many places folks don't have a way to dispose of a tree.  To many, having a tree they can't get rid of and a fire (and probably a few drinks mixed in) ends up with a bad idea put into action.

As far as a slow fire goes, best I can say is that it would depend on what type and how much creosote was in the chimney.  Maybe if someone caught the stove over firing at just the right time and turned they air down enough that it could be possible to slow the stove and a chimney fire into the type they mention?

pen


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## neumsky

n3pro said:
			
		

> I love what you find on Youtube sometimes.
> 
> [youtube]http://youtu.be/6mmMlHngngU[/youtube]



What the hay???  I did'nt hear no sirens either. While all the while...he's videoing it. What a DA!


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## albertj03

Put a thermometer on your stove pipe. If the needle moves really fast and redlines, you might be having a chimney fire.


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## eclecticcottage

pen said:
			
		

> eclecticcottage said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just read through that link and noticed this, which I am confused by "Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or _Christmas trees_; these can spark a chimney fire ."
> 
> Christmas trees?  Are they actually refering to stuffing an entire tree in a fireplace?!  Or the branches?  I can see if you have creosote buildup, how that could, since those burn HOT.
> 
> I have to say the idea of a slow burning chimney fire is kinda scary, since you probably woouldn't even know it was occuring....I didn't know that was possible, I figured once creosote got going it wouldn't be "slow burning".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In many places folks don't have a way to dispose of a tree.  To many, having a tree they can't get rid of and a fire (and probably a few drinks mixed in) ends up with a bad idea put into action.
> 
> pen
Click to expand...


So they actually ARE talking about someone trying to stuff a tree in a fireplace?  Yikes.

I have to admit that when I was a kid we burned the wrapping paper in my grandparent's fireplace.  Cardboard too.  Dont ever recall anything about chimney fires there though.


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## albertj03

I think they just mean that you shouldn't cut up your Christmas tree and use it as firewood. The reason this is not recommended is that by the time people take down the tree it's usually dry as a bone and they burn extremely hot and fast which coould easily set off a chimney fire if there is any creosote build up in the pipe or chimney. I've burned plenty of Christmas trees in my annual spring clean up brush fires and I'm always amazed at how fast they burn. I've seen them give off some really crazy greenish flames too.


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## SmokeyCity

RORY12553 said:
			
		

> How do you know when you have a chimney fire? New to all this and want to know some signs.



Id like to see this turn into a top 10 signs that you are having a chimney fire.

Ill start:

#10: you look out the window and a crowd across the street is pointing at the top of your roof line.
#9: OK 1 more.. and they are breaking out the marshmellows


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## eclecticcottage

albertj03 said:
			
		

> I think they just mean that you shouldn't cut up your Christmas tree and use it as firewood. The reason this is not recommended is that by the time people take down the tree it's usually dry as a bone and they burn extremely hot and fast which coould easily set off a chimney fire if there is any creosote build up in the pipe or chimney. I've burned plenty of Christmas trees in my annual spring clean up brush fires and I'm always amazed at how fast they burn. I've seen them give off some really crazy greenish flames too.



I partly agree.  I wouldn't use the branches, especially with the needles still on them.  However, the trunk should be fine-plenty of folks burn seasoned pine.  Earlier in the article it mentioned seasoned was more important than species.  Although if someone added some sort of preservative to the water when the tree was up...hm.  Might account for the crazy flames.


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## tcassavaugh

RORY12553 said:
			
		

> How do you know when you have a chimney fire? New to all this and want to know some signs.



neighbors on the lawn with marshmellows......  all kidding aside, the noise, the smell, the sometimes roaring......and sometimes glowing at the top of the chimney or sometimes even embers spewing from it....you'll probably know.

cass


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## RORY12553

Thank you to everyone who took the time out to make a post. I'm new to this and want to make sure i'm as knowledgeable as i can be about the hazards. Thank god i'm saving a lot on oil or else all this work wouldn't be worth it at all! LOL


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## ozzy73

I would be curious to see a few pictures of stove/chimney that has gone through a chimney fire.


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## Black Jaque Janaviac

I have a VC Montpelier and it roars when the door is open.  I just assumed this was the sound of flames getting sucked around the baffle and/or a very strong draft (20+ foot chimney).  

It sounds like it may be possible to have a chimney fire and not even know it.  I take it then that it is possible that some chimney fires just burn out without much damage?  Or am I wrong?


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## pen

Black Jaque Janaviac said:
			
		

> I take it then that it is possible that some chimney fires just burn out without much damage?  Or am I wrong?



Some do, some don't.  Best bet is to keep the chimney clean then if the accidental overfire occurs, it may be possible to damage something still, but it shouldn't be the home.

pen


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## theonlyzarathu

A SS liner can really help.  My Olympia is guaranteed never to burn out or it will be replaced free of charge, as its good for more than 2500 degrees.  My installer said he only replaced one, and that was where gthe owner stuffed the stove full of tiny kindling and the fired it up and left the door open.  Even so, the company replaced the liner free of charge despite the fact that it melted in some places.  

You need a liner with that kind of warranty.  

I burned plenty of wood over a long period, and never had a fire(knock on wood).  It depends on how you burn it too.


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## firefighterjake

Top sign you might be having a chimney fire . . . the shiny red trucks with the pretty flashing lights are parked in your driveway and you're greeted at the door by a guy dressed oddly and carrying an ax in one hand and a ladder in the other hand.

--

Actually Pen and JonP's descriptions are spot on.

Also Rory . . . if you burn truly seasoned wood . . . if you check your chimney monthly and clean it when necessary . . . and if you run the stove at the proper temps to reduce the amount of creosote build up you should never have  to worry about meeting my brothers and sisters who live and work in your home town . . . although I can pretty much guarantee you that they are wicked nice people.


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