Breach in chimney mortar caused massive house fire

[fire_man]

Sadly a historic mansion burned to the ground due to faulty mortar in the chimney.

Thankfully nobody got hurt but I think the message is that a thorough inspection by a certified sweep may have prevented this.

‘Tragic Accident': Fire That Burned Down Historic Concord Mansion Started in Chimney

The fire that destroyed a historic mansion in Concord, Massachusetts, started in a chimney in the building, fire authorities said Monday. Flames spread throughout the building on Fairhaven Hill Road and eventually consumed it on Friday, bringing down the roof and blowing out windows while fire...

www.nbcboston.com

 

[begreen]

That is very sad. I'm glad no one was injured. Sounds like pyrolysis. Anyone with that old of a chimney system should assume it needs regular, certified inspections and probably needs updating to make it safe.

 

[fire_man]

Yea did not think about pyrolyis. The combustibe material may have been lowering its ignition point for years.
$3,000,000 burned to the ground.

 

[bholler]

Stories like this are why I stress insulated liners so much.

 

[Jackfre]

"The fireplace was used in the appropriate manner." What does that mean in a 120yr old structure? Things shift. They settle. They crack. I had a good example of this in my own home. We remodeled the place in '13 and the very old stone fireplace and chimney were torn down to open the floor plan. I took this two story stone chimney down myself and was surprised at the charred subfloor wood under the 6" hearth and at the 1st and 2nd floor joists/rafters. How many more fires until the pyrolysis (reduced kindling temperature of the wooden structure due to repeated heating which causes a reduction in kindling temperature of that structure) lit the place up? So many times people look at the chimney and simply go, "oh, its the chimney. it's ok."

 

[begreen]

Too often we hear here comments like "It's worked fine for years" or "My dad used it with no problems" as an excuse not to insulate a liner. I can say that after removing the fireplace in our house I came to a very sobering realization of just how much can be hidden behind some sheetrock and plaster. We're lucky someone didn't burn the house down at some point in its 95 yrs..

 

[Sawset]

Too often we hear here comments like "It's worked fine for years" or "My dad used it with no problems" as an excuse not to insulate a liner. I can say that after removing the fireplace in our house I came to a very sobering realization of just how much can be hidden behind some sheetrock and plaster. We're lucky someone didn't burn the house down at some point in its 95 yrs..

Sobering yes, but most don't burn. Were the people using these or stone masons building them clueless? Maintenance? Consider anymore now masonry suspect by default and ditch it all for better? It's hard to believe 100s of years of stone masons and people using these wouldn't catch on. Or, like the 2x2 kitchen floor area back home that needed replacing because it was scorched through from the old wood cook stove, was living on the edge, but not close enough to be a concern.