Stopping overfired stove

[Adirondack]

Last winter I had my stove over-fire. Long story but the glass on the front of the stove came loose which allowed too much O2 in the stove and resulted in a very hot fire. I was wondering if there was something I could have on hand to throw in the fire to put it out in case of a chimney fire for example. I have seen the chimfex but I guess they are out of business. Are there any other options? Thanks in advance.

 

[beagledog]

I know a local fire department which uses one gallon zip lock bags filled with the same dry chemical that is in fire extinguishers. Ever since that other company went down, they've been using thesw bags with good success.

 

[Adirondack]

I know a local fire department which uses one gallon zip lock bags filled with the same dry chemical that is in fire extinguishers. Ever since that other company went down, they've been using thesw bags with good success.

I wonder what chemicals they use?

 

[Curlycherry1]

I wonder what chemicals they use?

Could be baking soda.

http://www.armhammer.com/myfamily/kids/fire_safety.asp

 

[Dalmatian90]

The baggies are filled with dry chemical as used in fire extinguishers. They're meant to be dropped down the chimney (a/k/a chimney bombs).

I have heard of "drizzling" them in front of a firebox, letting the draft suck up the powder.

If it was me, I wouldn't get that fancy. Spritz some water or throw smaller amounts (cup?) at a time -- you don't want to make steam so fast it can't go up the flue and instead backs up into the house. Try to hit the wood / hot coals, avoid the fire brick and metal.

===============
As for the Chimfexes...

They're Back! Orion / Standard Signal has restarted manufacturing this summer and Rutland is the distributor for them.

http://www.rutland.com/searchresults.php?key=Chimfex

So I guess you can call them to find out who stocks them.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

I have been told salt can be used to slow an over fired stove. I personally have'nt tried it so I am not sure of the results.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I know what I do around a campfire...but that might not work so good w/ a stove...something might get tooo hot.
Baking soda or sand should slow things down.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

My mom said when she was a child salt is what my grandfather used to slow the stove. Guess it works -http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/fire/question346.htm

 

[Chris Crouse]

They have those Chimex flares at my nearest Home Depot. I had read about them on here and saw them at the store by chance. I was going to buy one or two until I saw the price - $40!!!

 

[Coldfront]

Nothing is as cheap and works as well as water. I guess if it is good enough for fire fighters to put out a burning house, it will work on a stove fire. Get a small spray bottle at Family dollar it holds about a quart, squirt it on the wood until it cools the fire, if you have to refill it once or twice so what, I also use it on the charcoal grill when things get to hot.

 

[MishMouse]

I heard of multiple ways.

1) Have a container of sand handy at all times.
2) A plastic bag filled with wet paper towel. (The bag melts and the steam slows the fire, this is a slow release process)
3) What I would probably do is just dump my ash bucket onto the fire should do the same as sand. (Note mine is a top load so dumping stuff onto the fire is much easier then a front loader or a side loader)
4) Baking Soda and Flour are good also (Try them both and maybe with the creosote you would get a large cookie out of the deal)
5) All else fails use a fire extinguisher

I wouldn't throw water on the fire (Spraying with a spray bottle would be more effective and less dangerous).
1) The steam it creates would fry you
2) It could crack the firebox or the glass not good if you are trying to quickly calm a out of control fire.

 

[Philbert]

I wonder what chemicals they use?

Look in the yellow pages for a local company that recharges fire extinguishers. They might give you a baggie full of it, or sell it to you very cheaply. They recover it from fire extinguishers when they service them.

Otherwise, you could buy an inexpensive home fire extinguisher ($10?) at any hardware store or home center just for that purpose. They do tend to make a mess, but it will be directed into your firebox.

Be careful with throwing water on it as it could crack the glass or cast parts of the stove if they get hit, in addition to the steam issue mentioned (except of course in an emergency when damaging the stove is secondary to keeping the house from burning down).

Philbert

 

[Curlycherry1]

It bears repeating to never put water on a metal or glass woodstove fire to put it out unless you are ready to deal with a potentially bigger mess. The stove or the glass could crack and lead to a bigger problem with a fire not being contained.

It is time for a good reminder to folks as we get into fire season check your smoke detectors now before you start any fires. Test them and get new batteries in them. Also, make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in the house perferably near your furnace if you have one, or near your woodstove if you have one.

Finally, get good fire extinguishers, big ones, not the whimpy girly ones that are sold for cheap. Get a big extinguisher and put them throughout your house in places that are easy to remember where they are so you do not have to think when the time to get them is at hand. For me it is under every sink and in every closet in the house on the left side, just inside the door. IN case of emergency I know I have at least 15 pound fire extinguishers at the ready and I know where they are so there will be no thinking required. I am too good at the non-thinking part.

 

[Dalmatian90]

4) Baking Soda and Flour are good also

Flour is combustible and can explode in the right circumstances.

Yes, you'll probably dump enough of it on it quick enough to smother the fire. But if you don't, things could get interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_EGTzEsCZI

My mom said when she was a child salt is what my grandfather used to slow the stove.

Salt will work just the same as sand. It smothers the fire. It has no special properties other than that.

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) interferes with the chemical chain reaction occuring in a fire. It also has some properties that alter the surface texture of grease that helps with grease fires.

==========
And holy cow...$40 for a Chimfex flare :jawdrop: I would've never expected them to be that much.

 

[willsaw4beer]

So baking soda sounds pretty promising. What about for a chimney fire? I'd rather not have nasty chemicals all over my house unless it was to keep it from burnin' down.

 

[husky455rancher]

im so tryin that flour ballon thing!

 

[RVALUE]

20 mule team borax soap (powder)

 

[Billy_Bob]

I use a small fire extinguisher.

There is too much heat and I want it reduced now! A small blast of a fire extinguisher reduces the fire now (within seconds).

So I keep a small kitchen fire extinguisher for reducing the heat if necessary. Then I also have a large fire extinguisher nearby.

 

[fields_mj]

Throw in a couple of road flares. They will burn up all the O2 before its able to be used by the chimney fire. If the fire is going decent in your stove, you don't even bother trying to light them. Just pitch them in and shut the door.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Throw in a couple of road flares. They will burn up all the O2 before its able to be used by the chimney fire.

I love myths.

First we have someone saying use flour -- a product that will burn, and since it's finely ground may explode when exposed to flame.

Now we have "road flares will burn up the O2."

Road flares contain their own oxidizer. That's why they light so easily and burn so intensely.

Ever see one burn? Notice how the flame is shooting out "under pressure?" It's not there is a fan on the other end feeding in oxygen fast enough to make that happen...it's providing it's own oxygen as the potassium perchlorate breaks down.

Any CO2 they produce is going to be minimal compared to the fire already going, so they won't be effective in smothering a chimney fire. In short, they're not going to do jack squat to improve the situation.