What Precautions Should You Take During a Chimney Fire?
According to estimates from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), creosote is the leading cause of one-fourth of home fires in the US, with 25,000 incidents reported every year.
One of the reasons for this is that many homeowners don’t hire chimney cleaning services to clean their chimney as often as they should.
When you have a chimney fire, you might wonder what to do. Well, there are several precautions you should take. These precautions include:
Get everyone out
Everyone should leave the house as soon as possible if you suspect a chimney fire has started. By doing this, you’ll be able to limit the quantity of oxygen that the fire can absorb and prevent larger flames from spreading.
Getting everyone outside will also stop pets from escaping into the burning rooms. If you have children living in your house, this is especially crucial.
Using the right fireplace tools whenever you use a wood stove or fireplace is a way to avoid chimney fires. Doing so can help produce an updraft that will force the smoke up the chimney and out of your room.
Along with following these simple guidelines, you can hire a cleaning expert to clean your chimney regularly, which will help avert chimney fires before they start.
This is a crucial step since chimney fires can be quite dangerous, especially those that burn slowly.
Close all the openings
The purpose of your chimney system is to keep smoke, fumes, and flammable gasses out of your house. It must, therefore, be thoroughly inspected and cleaned regularly.
The flue is the hole in your chimney where smoke travels. It should be the right size to fit the capacity and chimney height of your stove.
Dampers are installed inside the flue to help regulate ventilation and keep a fire from getting too hot. When the fire isn’t burning, they also prevent cold air from entering.
There could be major issues if you open the damper when there is a fire. Your fire will have difficulty getting oxygen, producing smoke and carbon monoxide.
While the fire is blazing, the damper can be turned off by pulling chains at the inner front of the fireplace or by pressing a lever. As long as you know what you’re doing, that method is safe.
Put out the fire
Make sure your flue and fireplace are kept clean and clean of combustible materials to prevent chimney fires. This includes burning glossy pages, cardboard, and paper, spilling chemicals up the chimney, and discharging toxins into the air.
Additionally, you should keep the duration of your fire to no more than five hours per day. You should note that spending too much time in the fire can harm your chimney and possibly ignite a fire inside your house.
It is challenging for you and your family to experience a chimney fire. A chimney fire can spread quickly and endanger the building’s structure or demolish your home’s internal walls if not put out.
First, open the fireplace damper to put out the fire. Make sure to open the damper slowly because leaving it open too quickly could result in the start of another fire inside your house.
Get in touch with the fire department.
You must notify your local fire department and get everyone out of the house when you discover a chimney fire. In addition to putting out the fire, they can determine whether it has spread to other areas of your home.
A chimney fire can potentially destroy both your house’s structure and your life. It may even result in severe harm.
There are multiple indicators that a chimney fire might be present. Some are obvious, like a strong smell coming from your house.
Flue tile damage and potential flue wall cracks might result from a slow-burning chimney fire that burns through the exterior of your chimney.
Another indication that a chimney fire has occurred is the presence of melted roof shingles and other accessories.
In addition, keep an eye out for any additional indicators of a chimney fire, such as falling ash or loose soot down your chimney or blazing materials inside your chimney.
Ways to prevent chimney fires
You can significantly lower the risk of chimney fires and guarantee the security of your house and family by being aware of these issues and implementing the appropriate safety procedures. The common problems that will prevent chimney fires include:
Frequent Chimney Sweeping: To reduce the chance of a chimney fire, schedule routine sweeping. The kind of fuel being consumed determines how often sweeping is necessary.
If you are wondering how often you should clean your chimney, here are recommendations based on fire-prone appliances:
- Oil: Yearly
- Gas: Yearly
- Twice a year for bituminous coal
- Burning wood: Four times or more annually
- Burning smokeless fuels (such as coal): At least one time annually
Prevent burning wet wood: Ensure the wood you burn has no more than 17% moisture content. Burning damp wood increases the risk of creosote buildup and chimney fires because it causes incomplete combustion.
Use a fireguard while using open fires: To avoid embers that are smoldering and sparks that are flying, generating a fire hazard, use a fireguard when using open fires. The fireguard will control any possible sparks and embers near the fireplace.
Keep combustible items and dangerous compounds out of children’s reach: It’s critical to keep combustible items and hazardous compounds out of children’s reach. To avoid mishaps, chimney contractors Columbia MD recommend keeping kids away from fire hazards.
Keep wood and fuel away from the fire to prevent unintentional ignition of nearby objects like flammable materials or supplies meant for burning by flying sparks. Ensure that you keep every igneous substance at a safe distance from the hearth.
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