Chimney Fire! :(

[Dustin]

Well, after some warmer temps and not burning my Quad 4100I for a few weeks, I fired it up this morning.

Had an issue getting a good draft "poor wood" at the end of the season. I know, I shouldn't but i'm out. Not GREEN, but a little wet from rain.

Anywho, had the door open and not paying attention. Heard a "blow torch" type sound. Look across the street at my neighboor, his wife points at my chimney, says something to her husband, they get in the car and drive away. Thanks for not saying anything, guys.

I think "uh oh." I look inside the stove and see red inside the chimney connector. Look at the liner and see a spot of glowing red.

Run outside and see nasty looking creao hanging from the chimney cap. And, I see some smoke coming from around the liner, thats right, not from the cap, but from where the cap seals to the chimney. Burning the caulk maybe?

Mind you this all happens fast. I grab the fire extinguisher, Fill the stove with it and close the door and air. Everything goes out, and cools down. I climb on the roof, no damage, I climb in the attic and feel around, no heat. Pull the surround off the insert, inspect the liner...didn't seem to be damaged, from what I can see.

My concern, that there was some smoke coming from around the liner base plate, where there is a small hole of missed caulk. I'm concerned that the liner was damaged. The installer had a hard time getting it down the chimney, is it possible it worked a weak spot, and then the chimney fire finished it off?

Stove is cold, and remaining that way until I find a solution.

 

[pen]

Step 1: Either clean the chimney yourself and inspect w/ a high power spotlight or for extra piece of mind hire someone to clean it and do a video check of the flue and all connections

Step 2: Get your firewood seasoning for this coming winter now so that you have enough time to get that wood seasoned well so this doesn't happen again to you.

Next up, thank you for sharing. So many guys just shrug off the damp wood problem. Maybe reading of your situation might help change someone's habits.

I have my fingers crossed that you find good news when it's inspected. In the end, I'll be surprised if there is liner damage. These things really do hold up well. If you find a rip / hole, I'd be apt to believe it was there before the fire due to the rough install, especially if the fire was only for a few moments as it sounds it was.

pen

 

[woodchip]

+1

I'd want to be there when the chimney was swept to see what's up there.

Chimney sweep is your second best friend (after a big pile of very dry well seasoned wood).......

 

[BrotherBart]

All of what they said. And the smoke coming out at the top was probably when the hot pipe lit off any stray creosote left in the chimney when the liner was installed. I bet when you pull that top plate to inspect the liner that the chimney around the liner will be very clean and there will be a pile of crud on your block-off plate down on the bottom.

 

[cmonSTART]

A video scan would be helpful here.

 

[katwillny]

I had one of those earlier this year. They are not fun. Put the scare into me. I was lucky nothing major happened, had the pipe inspected the very next day and luckily all was well. All the best.

 

[oldspark]

OK I am confused, he said the wood was wet from rain and not green, should not have been a problem if just a little wet.

 

[begreen]

The chimney fire did not happen because of one last batch of wood. This was ignition of creosote build up over time. How long depends on how the stove was run and the wood being burned since the last cleaning.

 

[firefighterjake]

The chimney fire did not happen because of one last batch of wood. This was ignition of creosote build up over time. How long depends on how the stove was run and the wood being burned since the last cleaning.

+1 . . . and I still believe that burning wet wood is a whole other critter than burning unseasoned wood . . . not that I would want to burn loads and loads of wet wood . .. but I would burn wet wood without any worries . . . I would not burn unseasoned wood.