Taking Action in the Event of a Chimney Fire

Many individuals believe that chimney liners are made to contain the fire. This is just another harmful misunderstanding. They are not; instead, they serve to provide a secure pathway from the heating source to the outside by containing smoke and pollutants. Homeowners must be ready and proficient in extinguishing a chimney fire. This is a widespread and potentially deadly myth about chimney fires. In the US, there are more than 25,000 chimney fires annually, according to the CSIA. The cost of property loss and damage is projected to be around $126 million. When it comes to human life, the price is unfathomable.

Theoretically, a fire in a chimney can extinguish itself, provided it isn’t given access to new fuel (wood from the firebox, creosote, oxygen, etc.). Depending on the material used to make it, the liner may buckle, distort, or break as a result of the fire. Once inside your home, heat, smoke, and flames can spread to neighboring combustibles, your attic, walls, and ceilings. The greatest advice is to take precautions because chimney fires can be dangerous and even fatal.

Having an evacuation strategy in place with numerous exits is a need for any fire protection measure. Establish a meeting location that is sufficiently apart from the home to assure security. Make sure everyone has left the house before taking the first and most important step. Close the doors as you leave to remove as much oxygen as you can.

Call 911 even if you believe the fire is out so that qualified firemen can inspect the area. You can never be sure of what is happening in the chimney or whether the heat and flames have reached other parts of your house.

The damper and flue of the fireplace or stove can be closed if you decide that it is safe to do so (and everyone else has left). Once more, this eliminates oxygen, which a fire needs to grow. A fire extinguisher would also be useful to have on hand. Deliver brief bursts while aiming the nozzle at the firebox or fireplace grate and taking care not to send flying embers. As an alternative, you can put out the fire in the firebox using sand, salt, or baking soda. Use a hose to dampen the chimney outside if the fire brigade hasn’t yet come and everything is still safe. To avoid harming the chimney’s interior, spray gently.

To clear the firebox of debris, if it is safe, use a wood stove shovel. Take it outdoors and place it in a metal bucket. Retrieving your hose, spray the bucket and debris one more to make sure the fire is entirely out. For chimney fires, products like Chimfex are produced. These fire extinguisher sticks spew smoke and other particles that are intended to replace the oxygen in the flue, suffocate the fire, and reduce the flue’s temperature. By removing the top lid and revealing the cap’s scratch surface, you must activate it. The cap may be turned off to reveal a black button. Throw the stick into the stove next to the flames and lightly scratch the black button with the cap. After that, make sure to open the damper and close the air inlet controls.

The chimney fire may have been put out, and you may feel secure in your work. Great! However, let the fire department investigate the situation and determine whether a hazard still exists. The first concern is to keep you secure. You can prevent a fire from getting out of control by using these methods, but it’s always better to leave the extinguisher to the experts. Calling a Local Chimney Cleaning Plymouth expert to get your chimney cleaned is the next crucial step after the fire has been started. Make sure the ashes are sufficiently cool before doing this.

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