Chimney fire tactics for firefightersĪs with any fire, life safety should be the primary concern. The size of the fire, the construction style of the fireplace and chimney and its age will add to the possible extension of the fire. There are several factors that can lead to a creosote build-up, which residents in your communities should be aware of, including not maintaining a proper temperature inside the flue, burning wood that is not dried thoroughly and failure to clean the chimney on a regular basis. This is generally known as the fire's draft. The by-products of the fire exit upward by convection through the chimney flue. Although any amount of creosote can burn, professional chimney sweeps are concerned when creosote builds up in sufficient quantities to sustain a long, hot, destructive chimney fire.Īll chimneys are essentially manufactured in a similar fashion. If the build-up of the volume of creosote is sufficient, it is possible to start a chimney fire. Regardless of the physical presence of the creosote, it is highly combustible. Often, all forms will occur in one chimney system. It can be tarry, drippy and sticky or shiny and hardened. But as the products cool, they can coalesce into a sticky substance, creosote, that adheres to the inner lining of the chimney walls.Ĭreosote is black or brown in appearance with a crusty or flaky consistency. These substances exit the fireplace and wood stove, and gradually rise up into the relatively cooler chimney, where condensation occurs. Some are slow-burning fires, lacking the levels of air or fuel found in the large, eye-catching visible fires.īut even these have high temperatures that can cause as much damage to the chimney structure and nearby combustible parts of the house as the more dynamic fires. In basic terms, fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to allow for fires in a safe controlled fashion with the chimney providing expulsion for the by-products of combustion. However, not all chimney fires are visible from the exterior. Creosote build-up makes chimney fire possible When viewed from the exterior, large smoke volume and sparks and fire can extend several feet above the chimney. The volume of fire, smoke and heat from this type of fire can push hot gases out of existing cracks in the chimney mortar or cause internal connectors to fail. Victims of them compare the sound of the fire to a low rumbling noise, like a freight train or low-flying airplane.įlames have been known to shoot from the top of the chimney accompanied by dense smoke. The first indication of a chimney fire is usually the noise - a roaring sound that grows louder as the fire intensifies, reaching temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees F. Chimney fires can burn explosively and are generally noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or passersby.
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