Chimney Safety: What to Do if You Have a Chimney Fire
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), thousands of chimney fires a year cause nearly 125 million dollars in home damage, and even result in fatalities. Chimney fires can be caused by something as simple as bird nests or heavy wind, and they can cost you your home if you’re not undergoing chimney maintenance, which can help detect potential issues.
At Best Chimney Services, we provide thorough chimney inspections to ensure your chimney is clean of any debris and damage that could result in a chimney fire. We’ll come to your home once a year to perform an annual sweep, and be available any time for your questions or to provide other chimney services! Give us a call to schedule your first chimney inspection. In the meantime, let’s go over what to do if you have a chimney fire.
What to Do if You Have a Chimney Fire
1. Get Everyone Out of the House
Before you try to extinguish the fire, get everyone out of the house immediately. Chimney fires are as unsafe as any other type of fire in your home and can therefore harm your family members.
2. Call 911
A chimney fire may sound as if it’s only contained to your chimney, but it can spread rapidly, causing a great deal of damage to your home and threatening the safety of its inhabitants. Once everyone is safely out of your home, call 911 immediately so that the fire department can address the fire.
Being the victim of a chimney fire is frightening. While you may want to act on it and try to contain the fire, the only action you should take is to get out of your home and let the fire department handle the fire. Remain outside while you wait for the fire department to arrive so that they can take care of the situation.
How to Identify a Chimney Fire
As a chimney owner, it’s important that you know how to identify a chimney fire to be prepared. The most common signs that you have a chimney fire include smoke, flames, or sparks coming from your chimney. If there is a fire, the chimney may emit a strong smell and when you light your fireplace it may sound similar to a jet engine or freight train, indicating that creosote is combusting in your chimney.
Other common signs of a chimney fire include creosote shards in the grate of your fireplace or around the exterior of your home. If your chimney flue tiles are cracked, your damper is warped, or if smoke is coming through your chimney’s masonry then it’s possible you’re susceptible to a chimney fire.
How to Prevent Chimney Fires
What can you do as a homeowner to lower the risk of a chimney fire happening? Our biggest recommendation is to schedule routine chimney inspections. A chimney technician will help keep you up to date on regular sweepings and on any fireplace and chimney issues that need to be resolved. If you’re in the Greater Boston, MA area, contact us to start this process!
Call Best Chimney Services for Professional Chimney Inspections
At Best Chimney Services, we’ve been repairing chimneys and offering routine chimney inspections to ensure our clients’ homes are safe since 1989. We offer a range of chimney services to deliver exceptional customer service that your family can rely on. If you’re worried about chimney fires, give us a call so we can discuss the most effective safety precautions for your home!
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