What do you keep on hand to stop a Chimney Fire?

[firefighterjake]

Someone I work with has one a year on average, he said he called the vfd and when they arrived 5 minutes later they came in , looked at the stove , asked for a glass of water, by this point his wife was like just put the fire out dont just stand around drinking water. The firefighter bends over - opens the stove door - thows the water in and shuts the door -fire out He tells me the story and I think that may not be good for the stove ? Well sure enough this year mid season he has the annual chimney fire- the wife says should we call the vfd again ? no he replies just get me a glass of water ! He tells me the story and I just say you need to clean the chimney 2 times a year , and buy wood now for next year or you will be homeless one of these years!

As others have mentioned . . .

1. Seasoned wood
2. Burn at the proper temps -- not too hot to start any creosote on fire and not too cool to cause creosote to form.
3. Learn how to load your woodstove and know how it will operate.
4. Inspect and clean your chimney on a regular basis.
5. Sleep well at night knowing you don't need to worry about a chimney fire or have to meet your local firefighters unexpectedly sometime this coming winter at 2 in the morning.

That said . . . We've often used the water trick . . . typically in a mortar chimney with a clean out in the bottom as the hot coals drop into the clean out . . . a bit of water turns to steam, steam expands and is borne upwards on the draft, fire goes out . . . I imagine the same technique would work on a fire in the firebox.

I also should mention that I have several ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers squirreled around the house . . . although I honestly figure these would most likely be used on fires other than a chimney fire . . . I could still use them in a pinch . . . but figure if they are ever used they will be on something else like a cooking fire or unexpected electrical fire.

Oh yeah . . . almost forgot to add . . . big believer in the whole ounce of prevention deal . . . helps me sleep very well at night . . . except for the other night when I had a dream that I got shortchanged at a restaurant when they only gave me five or six french fries with my meal . . .

 

[firefighterjake]

Oh almost forgot to add the bit about "chimney bombs" . . . we sometimes take ABC dry chemical and put them in Ziplock baggies . . . on the roof we'll drop them down the chimney with the idea being the heat will melt the plastic baggie and the powder will hit the creosote on fire . . . works well when the chimney is chocker blocker blocked by a creosote plug and the fire is above the plug and the water-steam or ABC dry powder from below isn't able to get to the seat of the fire due to the plug.

. . . and sometimes we have to resort to bringing out the big chain with the weight on the end . . . which is always fun . . . nothing like being on a steeply pitched slippery metal roof at 1 a.m. in middle of a blizzard and pulling up a metal chain with the links glowing red . . . that's when I say a few choice words about the home owner not being responsible in running their woodstove correctly or at being too lazy to check their chimney.

 

[wkpoor]

Don't have anything on hand, maybe should. I take precautions though by burning dry wood and cleaning often. Chances are it will happen while I'm gone anyway.......Hope Not!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I know my neighbor is a candidate for a chimney fire,his SS pipe runs horizontal into a masonary chimney,the black creosote drips from every seam and the thing smolders all day with lots of thick-white smoke. Everytime i go outside i can smell it and think its my stove till i look up and see ZERO smoke coming from my chimney.