What would you do in this situation?

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Dustin92

Dustin92

Member
Nov 11, 2012
176
Jackson, MI, USA
So a couple nights ago, about 10:30 pm, I was loading the stove for the night, and as I pushed in a split, I must have upset something, because I heard a pop, and a coal went whizzing over my left shoulder. Crap. At this point, screw the stove- shoved in the split and shut the door, I smell something burning, and it ain't wood. I made a quick search and found one tiny little spark clinging to the carpet about a foot from the stove, so I wet my finger and stuffed it out. No damage to the carpet, but a black smudge from putting it out. That will come out. Now, I know a coal whizzed over my shoulder, and in the direction of the couch. I pulled all the cushions off and checked all the crevices, pulled the couch out from the wall, nothing. I looked all over the room and found nothing. I decided to stay downstairs for a while to keep an eye on things, and did for probably an hour. What else could I/should I have done? I had a hard time getting to sleep, thinking that coal had embedded itself in something and would set the house on fire while we slept! I suppose that is a danger of woodburning, but still a bit scary.
 
Ya did what you could do. 25 years heating this place with wood before I put a burn hole in the carpet. One morning I walk to the stove and off to the right I see that hole burned in the carpet. Knees shook a little.
 
Watchful eye like you did, double check the batteries in the smoke detectors, stare at the couch some more, finally go to bed with a fire extinguisher in each hand, sleep lightly.
 
I hate carpet, on many levels.

Hardwood & ceramic, that's how I roll.

Glad you are unscathed !
 
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In 40 years, I have spent the night in the stove room many times because of your exact experience. I guess it is part of burning wood, but when it happens, I am not sleeping. Burning my house down is not an option, especially in my profession! :ZZZ
 
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tfdchief said:
In 40 years, I have spent the night in the stove room many times because of your exact experience. I guess it is part of burning wood, but when it happens, I am not sleeping. Burning my house down is not an option, especially in my profession! :ZZZ
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I'm with you brother..wouldn't look good for a retired firefighter either..lol
 
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Or somebody married to a Ft. Worth fire captain's daughter.
 
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A.J. has been gone for a while. She remarried years after he died. To a Texas Ranger.
 
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Dustin92 said:
So a couple nights ago, about 10:30 pm, I was loading the stove for the night, and as I pushed in a split, I must have upset something, because I heard a pop, and a coal went whizzing over my left shoulder. Crap. At this point, screw the stove- shoved in the split and shut the door, I smell something burning, and it ain't wood. I made a quick search and found one tiny little spark clinging to the carpet about a foot from the stove, so I wet my finger and stuffed it out. No damage to the carpet, but a black smudge from putting it out. That will come out. Now, I know a coal whizzed over my shoulder, and in the direction of the couch. I pulled all the cushions off and checked all the crevices, pulled the couch out from the wall, nothing. I looked all over the room and found nothing. I decided to stay downstairs for a while to keep an eye on things, and did for probably an hour. What else could I/should I have done? I had a hard time getting to sleep, thinking that coal had embedded itself in something and would set the house on fire while we slept! I suppose that is a danger of woodburning, but still a bit scary.
Click to expand...

You did way more than I would have done. A coal shot out of your stove. You put it out. The end.

Life is full of "what ifs"
 
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Wood heat is an interactive experience.. sometimes more than others.

Has happened here, we have a pretty large hearth rug, but if I think something has gotten past me and it.. well.. couch isn't that uncomfortable..
 
We have a smallish rug in front of the stove, probably 2' x 3', and while it isn't officially a hearth rug, it will not burn. It is just a very tightly braided cotton rug, coals will sit on top and burn out, without even making a scorched mark. Of course, the coal had to be about 6" from the rug where it landed on the carpet.. We did end up with a couple of burn holes in the old carpet last year, but luckily nothing major. I was just concerned that a larger ember had landed somewhere out of my view. The smoke detectors are all working, 3 downstairs, two of those in the stove room, and one upstairs. CO detector downstairs as well.
 
drewmo said:
Depending on the weather, the couch would have been in the middle of the driveway. :)
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There is no easy way to get that couch out of the house- Either around a 90° turn and up the stairs, out through the garage, which won't happen unless the couch gets cut in half, or over a bed and through 3 doors at an angle, after removing the cushions and sawing the legs. It was left here when we moved in for a reason- nobody could figure out how to get it outside! We Had to get it out last summer while we installed new carpet, and had to take the back door off it's hinges. If that thing catches fire, better have an extinguisher handy.
 
I did an appraisal for a woman a couple years ago, she was burning a VC, her carpet in front of the stove had about 50 burned holes, I thought, holy crap I hope I don't read about this house burning down in the paper.
 
My insurance agent had his son stop over his place to visit one day and his kid flicked a cigarette out on the driveway before going inside the house (the parents don't allow smoking indoors). Later that night their house caught fire and ended up with $250,000 fire damage. The fire department determined the cigarette rolled across the driveway and ended up against the side of the garaged where it must have smoldered in some debris for a couple of hours before catching the garage on fire. So, you concern was well placed. I have a very sensitive nose and I can usually smell burnt smells pretty well. I guess I would have done as you did and stayed up awhile longer and kept a sharp nose out!
 
firefighterjake said:
I too would stay up later and be a little wary . . .
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spoken like a true fireman, you don't roll the hoses until everything is long since cold!

that's why we love you guys.
 
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tfdchief said:
stoveguy2esw, you warm my heart.:cool:
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it was meant as a compliment, my grandfather was a fireman. I loved the man obviously and for quite a time wanted to emulate him. obviously my path was a different one but I still hold a warm spot for the guys (and gals) who "run to the fire"

you guys be safe out there! you matter far too much to us all to not be.
 
stoveguy2esw said:
it was meant as a compliment, my grandfather was a fireman. I loved the man obviously and for quite a time wanted to emulate him. obviously my path was a different one but I still hold a warm spot for the guys (and gals) who "run to the fire"

you guys be safe out there! you matter far too much to us all to not be.
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And it was taken as a huge compliment! Thank you! We try hard every day to deserve the few thanks that we get, and cherish those thank yous when we get them. I have spent most of my life just trying to help people and most days that is reward enough, but getting thanked is special! Steve
 
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From someone who doesn't yet own a woodstove but is researching them . . . and who is eternally greatful to all firemen even if they weren't the particular ones that responded to my 2-alarm fire 35 years ago from a faulty fireplace flue in a 6 story apartment building before smoke alarms were required (I lived on the 2nd floor and it was my faulty flew and the smoke was on the 6th floor before I woke up thanks to the fire truck sirens) -- THANK YOU FOR SERVING OR HAVING SERVED! A friend of mine just got burned out of his house because of a live cigar ash that blew out of an ashtray into brush in the back yard and smoldered for hours before the yard caught on fire and a fireball went through the house.

You just can't be too careful.
 
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My friend was in a house fire last year - they were up late smoking on a couch on the back porch. Apparently someone accidentally set the couch smoldering. They thought they put it out and went to bed. It wasn't out. My friend and her boyfriend made it out by crawling out the window and jumping into a tree. Three others died. The fire station was the next block over but it was so fast they couldn't get to it in time.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.1335740

Caution definitely warranted.
 
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