had a scare last night

When you put a bunch of small splits over a hot coal bed, it tends to out-gas all at once which often leads to a runaway situation where closing the air down no longer controls the sudden heat generation. Heat is being generated faster than the stove can dissipate it. EPA stoves are all designed so that air is never completely shut down.

It doesn't even have to be small splits. Just avoid putting too much wood on a hot bed of coals. There are some threads on here about over-fire situations and how to load to avoid them.

I dont think the original poster has been on since making this thread, boy is he in store for some good reading.

+1 . . . I learned a long time ago (well a few years back) to resist the urge to reload the stove when the coals are still too large and the stove's temp hasn't gone done much . . . even if it means having to wait around the house longer or leaving and taking a chance the oil boiler may have to kick on. Loading a stove up with splits before "its time" and having the temps spike is not fun . . .

Raking the coals forward helps also to prevent the load from off gassing all at once.

That's when I have a runway fire.

Most of it still went up the chimney- the "key" damper doesn't completely block it, just greatly reduces draft. Flames shot out the door a bit though.

Also cranked the built in blower and a small fan I keep behind it - my blower is a noisy POS.

I went to a chimney fire once that involved a stove pipe that was white hot, almost transparent...........always wondered what the temp was.

That would be interesting! White isn't even on that chart, but I found another one says it starts at about 2200°F. I believe that from that point on it's mostly a matter of intensity. I have no idea what "transparent" would be...

Transparent = get out of Dodge!

Can't.....if you are old enough, you know Andy Griffith told Aunt B to "call the man, Aunt B, just call the man" Well, I'm the man

lol

When you're in bunkers and air'd up, you can face anything, but a transparent stove pipe would be startling!