Haven't been on in a while, so hello again. Always wonder if folks have "things" on hand if a chimney fire breaks out. I know how to prevent them, but even the best laid plans come up short sometimes. Any methods you guys have once a chimney is on fire........ AFTER calling the local fire dept ?
chimney fire
- Thread starter Dale
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
I have a dry chem extinguisher near the stove. If the chimney lights up I plan on shooting some in the stove then immediately shutting off all of its air supply. Ive also heard of something called a chimney bomb that is little more than a bag of dry chem thrown down the chimney from the top.
We used to have what looked like a stick of dynamite sitting by my stove when we first bought our place. I have since learned that it was some kind of dry chemical that would extinguish a fire when toss into the stove..Not sure what the name of it was but i wish i never threw it out..LOL
Dalmatian90
Addicted to ArboristSite
Toxic2 is talking about the Chimfex flares; there was a post here in the last month or so that if you call up Rutland directly they're on an unadvertised sale to the end of the year.
"Chimney Bombs" are just plastic sandwich bags filled with dry chem. Drop down the top and as the plastic melts the dry chem is released and carried up the flue by the convection currents.
"Chimney Bombs" are just plastic sandwich bags filled with dry chem. Drop down the top and as the plastic melts the dry chem is released and carried up the flue by the convection currents.
geordiemull
ArboristSite Lurker
As an extra thought along the same lines, if you do have a chimney fire and manage to get it out have a quick check of the surrounding area ,as a chap in Loch Don was so concerned about his chimney fire he did`nt notice the sparks had set fire to his barn full of hay, so instead of a 15 min shout to a chimney , we had to get another 2 appliances down from Tobermory for a couple of hours to extingiush the barn and damp it down !!!
Big box of Arm and Hammer. Toss it into the inferno and shut down the air. The box burns and the powder smothers the fire.
I wouldn't want to force anything in there under high pressure from an extinguisher. The risk of blowing some of that fair or bed of coals back out at you is too high in my opinion.
No time to get out the ladder, climb onto the roof, remove the cap and drop the thing down the chimney. By the time you get up there its either already run its course and is out or your house is engulfed.
I wouldn't want to force anything in there under high pressure from an extinguisher. The risk of blowing some of that fair or bed of coals back out at you is too high in my opinion.
No time to get out the ladder, climb onto the roof, remove the cap and drop the thing down the chimney. By the time you get up there its either already run its course and is out or your house is engulfed.
smokinj
Addicted to ArboristSite
Check your flu once a month. There is no reason it should ever get to that point!
ba-1
ArboristSite Member
Check with a fire extinguisher service for unused powder and make your own by filling baggies
Dalmatian90
Addicted to ArboristSite
Huh?
If you have to wait for the box to burn, the powder isn't going to do much other then sit it a big fat pile.
Huh #2?
Have you ever actually used a dry chem extinguisher?
I don't like that method myself, but those are exaggerated worries.
You give it quick shots and see what happens. You don't stand there blasting away.
Huh #3?
Have you ever actually used the chimney bombs?
I have been on the roof with more then one active chimney fire over the years. No, the house didn't burn down...or even have extension beyond the chimney. But it sure as heck still had flaming fire with enough time for the fire company to arrive and get set up.
A good chimney and a big fuel load it's quite possible for it to be safely burning away for quite some time.
Again, not something I'd recommend for a homeowner working alone.
The simplest thing for folks to do is just shutdown the dampers. If you got a Chimfex flare, throw that in (with the dampers closed). The wad of wet paper towels thrown in (again with the dampers closed when you shut the door) doesn't seem like a bad idea either. Those are pretty simple things.
Doesn't take more than a few seconds for that box to go up in a hot fire. The convection of the flames will pull the powder everywhere in the firebox. You could also fill some ziplock baggies.
I'll be honest and say no, I've never used a dry checmical extinguisher...nor any extinguisher at all for that matter...never been in that position. Just don't think bursting any compressed volume into a hot stove is a good solution. I agree, better than nothing though.
Nope. I've never put myself in the position of having a chimney fire. Every situation is different of course, but I can't imagine taking the time to get up on the roof, take the cap off my chimeny and get close enough to a chimney with flame coming out of it to drop something down it when I can just toss something into the stove and shut the air down. Its gonna take minimum of 10-15 minutes to get up there...and its really risky with 2 feet of snow on top of your roof.
Good to know the risks of a chimney fire are exaggerated though. I guess the double wall pipes ought to hold up for awhile...makes sense.
Best answer.
hardpan
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've had 2 flue fires. Don't plan on putting anything down the flue from above while the flue fire is active. Mine were like a violent 15 foot torch shooting from the top of my flue and it shook the whole house like a train was racing through my front yard. I have the Chimflex (spelling?) now and I check/clean my flue every month, at night with a flashlight and brush from above. It is worth checking for newer products. I wouldn't depend on home remedies or common ABC fire extinguishers unless their effectiveness is verified.
I was talking to a good friend about heating with wood last year and he told me that when he used to burn all of the time, he had a flue fire that he got under control quickly by quickly tossing in a flare and shutting off the air/dampers. Sound like it was one of these mentioned above.
I had been under the impression that the burning used up the O2 but do these one release some sort of agent?
I had been under the impression that the burning used up the O2 but do these one release some sort of agent?
I'm all for insurance vs the cost of a fire but wow... Still unclear what in it vs a road flare (chem that smokes?)
$38.95 +SH - Chimfex - 1 Stick
$311.60 +SH - Chimfex - 1 Case (8 Sticks)
It's Back!
Chimfex was used by homeowners and professional firefighters for more than 30 years with proven results. Manufacturing of it was interrupted from 2001 until 2009, but due to demand it is back.
First defense against a chimney fire.
Chimfex works quickly and effectively to extinguish a
chimney fire in an average of 22 SECONDS!
Chimfex puts out the fire.
After activating, immediately drop it alongside the fire, close the doors and air intake and the natural draft will take the robust fumes up the chimney. The fumes suppress the fire and replace the oxygen.
What happens next.
Chimney fires can often restart because the creosote remains and the heat remains even after the initial flames have been quelled. For this reason, Chimfex is engineered to continue to produce a high volume of fumes for the next several minutes to make certain the fire does not reignite. This duration of smoke output allows the internal flue temperatures to drop such that reigniting is less likely. Temperature in the flue is reduced by over 50% in two minutes on average. It replaces over 40% of the oxygen in an average of 2 minutes.
No water damage.
Traditional methods of extinguishing fires with water can harm flue tile and cause extensive damage. Even a low volume of water will cause the ash and creosote to puddle at the base of the firebox and even out on the floor in front. Spraying water on very hot flue tile can cause severe damage and require major repairs before it can be used again. Chimfex provides a safe and quick solution with no water damage.
$38.95 +SH - Chimfex - 1 Stick
$311.60 +SH - Chimfex - 1 Case (8 Sticks)
It's Back!
Chimfex was used by homeowners and professional firefighters for more than 30 years with proven results. Manufacturing of it was interrupted from 2001 until 2009, but due to demand it is back.
First defense against a chimney fire.
Chimfex works quickly and effectively to extinguish a
chimney fire in an average of 22 SECONDS!
Chimfex puts out the fire.
After activating, immediately drop it alongside the fire, close the doors and air intake and the natural draft will take the robust fumes up the chimney. The fumes suppress the fire and replace the oxygen.
What happens next.
Chimney fires can often restart because the creosote remains and the heat remains even after the initial flames have been quelled. For this reason, Chimfex is engineered to continue to produce a high volume of fumes for the next several minutes to make certain the fire does not reignite. This duration of smoke output allows the internal flue temperatures to drop such that reigniting is less likely. Temperature in the flue is reduced by over 50% in two minutes on average. It replaces over 40% of the oxygen in an average of 2 minutes.
No water damage.
Traditional methods of extinguishing fires with water can harm flue tile and cause extensive damage. Even a low volume of water will cause the ash and creosote to puddle at the base of the firebox and even out on the floor in front. Spraying water on very hot flue tile can cause severe damage and require major repairs before it can be used again. Chimfex provides a safe and quick solution with no water damage.
Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Just cut off all air supply and it will calm down.
I have a friend who purposely load up and burns his flue once a year to rid off the creosote.
That's how he cleans his flue pipe instead of sweeping and he's been doing this for years.
As for me, I prefer to sweep my pipe.
I have a friend who purposely load up and burns his flue once a year to rid off the creosote.
That's how he cleans his flue pipe instead of sweeping and he's been doing this for years.
As for me, I prefer to sweep my pipe.
promac850
formerly promac610
Well, so far so good. Haven't had any creosote build up, much less a chimney fire...
I figure I'd just choke the heck out of it by closing the air intake and shutting the pipe damper. After that, call the FD and get some wet paper towels into the firebox. Maybe grab that Tundra extinguisher and use that if necessary. It'd be done in real small bursts through the loading door cracked open just enough for the stuff to get into the firebox...
Shouldn't have to do that since the chimney gets swept every fall.
Chimney sweep guy said every two years for the main chimney pipe, (insulated SS pipe in a tile lined chimney, we had it done right by them to make sure creosote build up and such nearly impossible.) and two/three times a year for the main stove to chimney pipe...
When it was swept at the beginning of this burning season, all that was found was ash... quite a bit in the stove to chimney pipe, and a fairly small bit in the chimney itself.
It probably helps that we sometimes forget to choke the intake down on the stove and the fire gets real hot every now and then with over 500 degree outside stack temps... meaning over 1000 degrees in the center of the flue... that'll burn any possible and every little tiny bit of creosote deposit into ash...
Key is if you're doing that as a prevention to chimney fires in some outdated tile lined chimney is to make sure you do that often... give it a little too much time to build up, you got problems... like a full blown flame pouring out of the chimney fire. (never seen one, and hope I never do... in my own or someone else's chimney)
If the chimney was done right with an insulated SS liner, and you burn the wood in a good high efficiency stove such as a Lopi, and you burn seasoned wood... you really shouldn't have to worry about it. Just sweep to get the loose ash out once a year either in the spring or in the fall.
Those with tile or concrete square block type (what do you call those blocks?) chimneys need to be much more careful since cracks in the tiles/blocks and the roughness of the mortar and blocks alone is enough to be a problem... add misaligned/missing tiles/blocks and mortar that is completely missing in areas that is typical in older chimneys, and you got a real risk for a fire due to creosote build up. Yes, creosote will build up in a bad chimney even if you're doing everything right with the stove, fire wood, and all.
IMHO, the chimney is the most critical part of any wood burning set up. Don't go cheap on it when building one or placing a liner in an existing chimney... get it done right, it really will be worth it. We all know the last thing anyone wants is their house burning down and destroying everything simply because the owner was too cheap to get it done right when they can afford to get it done right.
I figure I'd just choke the heck out of it by closing the air intake and shutting the pipe damper. After that, call the FD and get some wet paper towels into the firebox. Maybe grab that Tundra extinguisher and use that if necessary. It'd be done in real small bursts through the loading door cracked open just enough for the stuff to get into the firebox...
Shouldn't have to do that since the chimney gets swept every fall.
Chimney sweep guy said every two years for the main chimney pipe, (insulated SS pipe in a tile lined chimney, we had it done right by them to make sure creosote build up and such nearly impossible.) and two/three times a year for the main stove to chimney pipe...
When it was swept at the beginning of this burning season, all that was found was ash... quite a bit in the stove to chimney pipe, and a fairly small bit in the chimney itself.
It probably helps that we sometimes forget to choke the intake down on the stove and the fire gets real hot every now and then with over 500 degree outside stack temps... meaning over 1000 degrees in the center of the flue... that'll burn any possible and every little tiny bit of creosote deposit into ash...
Key is if you're doing that as a prevention to chimney fires in some outdated tile lined chimney is to make sure you do that often... give it a little too much time to build up, you got problems... like a full blown flame pouring out of the chimney fire. (never seen one, and hope I never do... in my own or someone else's chimney)
If the chimney was done right with an insulated SS liner, and you burn the wood in a good high efficiency stove such as a Lopi, and you burn seasoned wood... you really shouldn't have to worry about it. Just sweep to get the loose ash out once a year either in the spring or in the fall.
Those with tile or concrete square block type (what do you call those blocks?) chimneys need to be much more careful since cracks in the tiles/blocks and the roughness of the mortar and blocks alone is enough to be a problem... add misaligned/missing tiles/blocks and mortar that is completely missing in areas that is typical in older chimneys, and you got a real risk for a fire due to creosote build up. Yes, creosote will build up in a bad chimney even if you're doing everything right with the stove, fire wood, and all.
IMHO, the chimney is the most critical part of any wood burning set up. Don't go cheap on it when building one or placing a liner in an existing chimney... get it done right, it really will be worth it. We all know the last thing anyone wants is their house burning down and destroying everything simply because the owner was too cheap to get it done right when they can afford to get it done right.
