Scary Fire In The Stainless Liner

We had a Lopi Revere insert installed in November, 2005 in a Heatilator EC42 prefab firebox. The flu is double wall 8" steel with a 24' insulated 6" liner running the length to the top. I clean the stainless liner each year with fiberglass rods and a 6" round brush. We've always used only dry firewood, but this year I used some less than perfectly dry ash to start the season. Early this morning, my wife tried to restart the fire and put some cardboard in the firebox to help it get started. Within 15 or 20 minutes, she woke me up telling me we had a chimney fire. I opened the door, opened the smoke bypass and saw a flickering yellow flame coming from up inside the liner, then immediately shut the door, closed the damper to shut off any air.

After the subtle roaring went down, I pulled the surround off and inspected where the liner attaches to the stove. There was a pile of black granular chunks piled up around the back of the stove on the floor of the fireplace, maybe a couple inches high around the back of the stove. I felt the liner and it was pretty hot, but I could touch it, so the fire must have been three or four feet up in the liner. My only guess is that this stuff came from between the liner and the old 8" pipe, but I didn't seen any piled up on the top of the stove, where I would think if it was coming down from the 8" pipe it would pile up first.

Looking at the specs for the liner, I see that it's rated for 2100 degrees. I want to have the chimney inspected now by a licensed sweep with a camera.

My question: Has anyone had this happen out there? If so, what did you do to resolve? Could that fire have damaged the liner?

Thanks for the response Green..

I contacted the installer today, and he came by this afternoon. He climbed up on the roof to get a peek down the chimney, then looked behind the insert enclosure and told me the liner is fine. He said the stuff at the bottom of the firebox (outside the insert) was likely from me cleaning the liner. I also found out he DID NOT insulate my liner when he installed it. He said he has been doing this for 30 years and since my chimney is completely enclosed with a wooden chase, the insulation is not necessary - not so sure about that at all. I don't think he did much cleaning of the 8" double wall before he installed the liner.

The wet wood is now on top of next (2012/2013) year's wood supply to get good and dry over next summer. I brought in some dry stuff and checked moisture content at 8% to about 16% according to my Harbor Freight cheapo moisture sensor.

This was a lesson - NEVER EVER wet wood in my insert again! That little episode totally freaked me out.

Yep, the installer said no more cardboard - same thing you guys mentioned about #1 cause of chimney fires, pizza boxes are creosote igniters, expecially with a Lopi and it's wonderful smoke bypass.

Running with 12% moisture 2 year seasoned Oak and Mulberry right now, but watching it like a hawk.