What to do in case of a flue fire

[Constrictor]

What is a person to do if they experience a flue fire?
Is a flue fire most likely to happen when your starting a fire,
when its the hottest, or when your gone?

Here is an article i read about causing a flue fire on purpose!

http://www.endtimesreport.com/chimney_cleaning.html

Airtight stoves and tight fitting, stainless steel, insulated stove pipe are a different matter entirely. Due to the nature of the stoves (particularly if they have an automatic draft control for temperature regulation) they WILL build up a layer of creosote in the chimney, and that creosote WILL burn. If a flue fire gets started in an airtight stove, a small glass of water thrown on the fire will flash to steam and inhibit the flue fire, BUT it may also severely damage the stove: glass doors can break, the steel or cast iron may not be able to adjust to the temperature difference and crack, etc.

Everyone with an airtight stove should have their own chimney cleaning brush and rod, and then plan on inducing a controlled chimney flue fire once a month. The use of dried potato peels or newspaper -- but absolutely no wood! -- will raise the temperature of the flue sufficiently to induce a controlled "burn" that is simply a flash of heat in the chimney. A chimney temperature gauge should be on the stovepipe about 5 feet above the stove (if possible) and when the temperature reaches about 500 degrees, all dampers should be shut down and the fire starved of fuel and oxygen. The residual oxygen in the stove will keep the fire going until the temperature reaches 550 degrees or so, the go out and rapidly cool down. The dampers may then be open to induce a flush of cool air through the pipe, so it cools down faster -- in a half hour the pipe will be just slightly warm to the touch.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We've been burning wood for over 50 years and have never had a flue fire nor do we want one.

It is all very simple and it starts with the fuel you are burning. If you have less than a year's supply of wood on hand now, you will be burning unseasoned wood next year. Get at least 2 years wood supply on hand so you have good dry wood to burn.

Next in line is to keep an eye on the chimney. Clean it as often as it requires and you can only determine that by looking inside the thing. If your wood is not 2 years old, then check the chimney once per month. It does not take long to clean a chimney, so if you need to do it monthly, then just do it. If you have good wood, you will normally have to clean once per year.

 

[johng]

I am a fireman. and we do not have many wood stove here. But we used to have a lot of oil furnaces and sometimes we would get called when the would get too hot. We would put a cup of ice cubes in there and the fire would go out. This would probably work with a chimney fire the same way and should not cool the stove so much it causes it to crack like water would.

 

[Chimneysweep]

What is a person to do if they experience a flue fire?
Is a flue fire most likely to happen when your starting a fire,
when its the hottest, or when your gone?

Here is an article i read about causing a flue fire on purpose!

http://www.endtimesreport.com/chimney_cleaning.html

Airtight stoves and tight fitting, stainless steel, insulated stove pipe are a different matter entirely. Due to the nature of the stoves (particularly if they have an automatic draft control for temperature regulation) they WILL build up a layer of creosote in the chimney, and that creosote WILL burn. If a flue fire gets started in an airtight stove, a small glass of water thrown on the fire will flash to steam and inhibit the flue fire, BUT it may also severely damage the stove: glass doors can break, the steel or cast iron may not be able to adjust to the temperature difference and crack, etc.

Everyone with an airtight stove should have their own chimney cleaning brush and rod, and then plan on inducing a controlled chimney flue fire once a month. The use of dried potato peels or newspaper -- but absolutely no wood! -- will raise the temperature of the flue sufficiently to induce a controlled "burn" that is simply a flash of heat in the chimney. A chimney temperature gauge should be on the stovepipe about 5 feet above the stove (if possible) and when the temperature reaches about 500 degrees, all dampers should be shut down and the fire starved of fuel and oxygen. The residual oxygen in the stove will keep the fire going until the temperature reaches 550 degrees or so, the go out and rapidly cool down. The dampers may then be open to induce a flush of cool air through the pipe, so it cools down faster -- in a half hour the pipe will be just slightly warm to the touch.

Call the fire dept.!

 

[firefighterjake]

We've been burning wood for over 50 years and have never had a flue fire nor do we want one.

It is all very simple and it starts with the fuel you are burning. If you have less than a year's supply of wood on hand now, you will be burning unseasoned wood next year. Get at least 2 years wood supply on hand so you have good dry wood to burn.

Next in line is to keep an eye on the chimney. Clean it as often as it requires and you can only determine that by looking inside the thing. If your wood is not 2 years old, then check the chimney once per month. It does not take long to clean a chimney, so if you need to do it monthly, then just do it. If you have good wood, you will normally have to clean once per year.

I'm with BS . . . rather than worrying about what to do if there is a fire folks should spend more time preventing the fire by burning seasoned wood and checking/cleaning the chimney on a regular basis.

As to what to do if there is a chimney fire . . . this topic has been discussed many a-time with answers ranging from call the Fire Department, use a small amount of water, use a wet newspaper in a plastic bag, cut off the air flow, run outside in your PJs screaming "We're all going to die, We're all going to die" and using fire extinguishers to stop the fire cold among many other ideas . . . OK, I made up the second to last answer.

 

[aurora04444]

Well, what not to do is let the firemen come in and do whatever they want and believe them! I had a tiny chimney fire, the neighbors called and the 5-7 firemen arrived. I'm used to occasional chimney fires and you damper down everything and are very watchful. Well, the firemen put some sort of chemical into my beautiful Mansfield Hearthstone, said it wouldn't harm anything. HA! First off, the chemical dust went everywhere and it causes severe burning of nasal passages, throat and eyes, in addition to coughing. Everything has to be cleaned in the whole house. Animals are also having respiratory problems.

Secondly, which is really scaring me, is that my stove is full of sticky black goo, the reburner tubes are full of it! I removed the ashes, loose powder and vacuumed. Then I scraped what I could off the interior of the stove and vacuumed again. I started up a fire hoping the goo will burn off. There is an acid smell and the black goo has softened only so far. I am crossing my fingers
Aurora

 

[littlesmokey]

That link is a prime example of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. No chimney fire is a safe fire. A brush and time cleaning is the only way to go. Years ago I heated 2,500 sf with a homemade stove. Not my construction, but someone who knew what he was doing. Once a week I would burn an extra hot fire to dry out the chimney. It was 24ft tall off the stove. By using hot burns I was able to keep the creosote under control. By hot I mean 700 to 800 on the stove. I didn't pay attention once and it got a lot hotter. That was a little scary. After my sister almost lost her house to a Chimney fire (former BIL was to cheap to sweep) I paid very close attention.

Second, let the firemen do their work. If you have a fire, let them take care of it. If you neglect your stove and have a fire, the prime objective is put it out. I would much rather replace the stove than the house. Chimney fires are mostly human neglect caused. Damping down too much, green or wet wood, inadequate cleaning or none at all. There are lots of thing that should be done to stop the fires.

 

[fbelec]

just for piece of mind if you are doing everything right then nothing to worry about. when i had my chimney fire that the fire dept. took care of they used a dry chemical extinguisher. it put it out in a flash. no harm except the first two times he sprayed it up to the top of the stove expecting it to go up the chimney i had the baffle closed and the yellow powder was everywhere but where it was suppose to be. once the baffle was open it put it out right away. if you have a fire and someone comes near it with a hose slap em upside the head and tell them to use a dry chemical extinguisher. any fire dept that has a clue would do that anyway. but keep one in your house anyway.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

To put out a chimney fire soak a dish towel and throw it in the stove. The steam will extinguish the flames.

 

[Nyquil Junkie]

The VFD told me to keep a small fire extinguisher by the stove.
If a stack fire occurs, they said to open the stove door a little and empty the extinguisher into the box.

the hard draw will pull the stuff up the pipe and put the fire out quickly.

I got one hangin on the wall but I take the soot cap off the base of my stack and look up it once a month just out of paranoia.

I run the brush up it now and then but the most I ever get out is fly ash and soot.

I live in a trailer, I have to be paranoid.
LOL

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The VFD told me to keep a small fire extinguisher by the stove.
If a stack fire occurs, they said to open the stove door a little and empty the extinguisher into the box.

the hard draw will pull the stuff up the pipe and put the fire out quickly.

I got one hangin on the wall but I take the soot cap off the base of my stack and look up it once a month just out of paranoia.

I run the brush up it now and then but the most I ever get out is fly ash and soot.

I live in a trailer, I have to be paranoid.
LOL

That'd work but the chemicals in those are usually corrosive and always messy.

 

[Mr. Kelly]

At the risk of being painfully repetitive... How in heck does one actually KNOW there is a chimney fire? This is important for us who will have stoves installed shortly... but have no clue! I can imagine now... flames billowing up from my chimney, into the darkened winter sky... with a flash of fireball brilliance... awesome. Then I came back to Earth.

 

[lexybird]

use soaking wet newspapers and keep a useable fire extinguisher nearby. just clean the flue regularly and burn seasoned wood ,id imagine youll know you have a chimney fire by seeing the extremely high flue temps on your gauge(buy one) and unusual white or red color to the pipe ,also some report a sound echoing through the pipe something like a train howling also orange and red flames shooting out of your chimney cap would likely be a red flag as well

 

[fbelec]

if you want to know what a chimney fire sounds like but don't want the chimney fire here is what you do. get a good load of splits going in the stove after a hours or so right in the middle of the burn crack open your door about a inch for about 30 seconds that rumble is what your chimney fire will sound like except the door will be closed and if you have by chance but most likely not have some creosote on the connecting pipe between your stove and chimney you'll hear alot of crackling inside the pipe. sometimes you can hear the crackling in the pipe with no fire in the chimney and if you leave it that way that could send the chimney off. if you hear that crackling noise and everything is real hot close down the stove and it will go away. and at that point when your stove cools down after that fire want to check out your chimney and pipe before you start a fire in the stove again.

 

[Thrash44047]

Throw a wet terrycloth towell in the stove and let it steam the flames out. Wet, not damp but not dripping. The steam will put out the creosote that is on fire in the flue, and the towel will kill the fire in the box, eliminating any heat in the box to assist ignition in the chimney.

There is my $.02

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .. if you have a fire and someone comes near it with a hose slap em upside the head and tell them to use a dry chemical extinguisher. any fire dept that has a clue would do that anyway. but keep one in your house anyway.

I agree . . . but that said . . . here in the big city the guys here put out a fire with the hose . . . they run up to the top and hit it with the hose. Egads! Their reasoning . . . it's just what Little Smokey just said . . . their goal is to simply put out the fire as quickly and efficiently as possible. Of course, if the chimney fire hasn't already damaged the chimney, extinguishing the fire with the hose most likely did.

I personally prefer our little country podunk method of extinguishing a chimney fire . . . sure, it may sometimes take a few more minutes and is a bit more work . . . but it's kind of nice to be able to save the chimney.

 

[firefighterjake]

The VFD told me to keep a small fire extinguisher by the stove.
If a stack fire occurs, they said to open the stove door a little and empty the extinguisher into the box.

the hard draw will pull the stuff up the pipe and put the fire out quickly.

I got one hangin on the wall but I take the soot cap off the base of my stack and look up it once a month just out of paranoia.

I run the brush up it now and then but the most I ever get out is fly ash and soot.

I live in a trailer, I have to be paranoid.
LOL

That'd work but the chemicals in those are usually corrosive and always messy.

Agreed . . .

 

[Bigg_Redd]

At the risk of being painfully repetitive... How in heck does one actually KNOW there is a chimney fire? This is important for us who will have stoves installed shortly... but have no clue! I can imagine now... flames billowing up from my chimney, into the darkened winter sky... with a flash of fireball brilliance... awesome. Then I came back to Earth.

They have a particular noise. Like a load roar. You'll know it when you hear it.

 

[firefighterjake]

The VFD told me to keep a small fire extinguisher by the stove.
If a stack fire occurs, they said to open the stove door a little and empty the extinguisher into the box.

the hard draw will most likely pull the stuff up the pipe and put the fire out quickly. They also said I should call 911 and get them on the way in case the fire, burning chunks of creosote or radiating heat catches my home on fire it's always nice to have them on the way.

I got one hangin on the wall but I take the soot cap off the base of my stack and look up it once a month just because I firmly believe in regularly inspecting it for any signicant build up.

I run the brush up it now and then but the most I ever get out is fly ash and soot because I'm burning my woodstove at the proper temps and not burning unseasoned wood . . . but I still figure it's not that difficult to sweep the chimney now and then.

I live in a trailer, I have to be concerned . . . but then again I think everyone would want to be safety conscious regardless of whether they live in a trailer or a millinion dollar mansion . . . because to tell the truth, my home can be replaced, the lives of myself, my spouse and children . . . not so easily. LOL

I fixed your quote.

Sounds like you're doing everything right . . . I don't suspect you'll be meeting Firefighter Fred and his cohorts anytime soon.

 

[firefighterjake]

At the risk of being painfully repetitive... How in heck does one actually KNOW there is a chimney fire? This is important for us who will have stoves installed shortly... but have no clue! I can imagine now... flames billowing up from my chimney, into the darkened winter sky... with a flash of fireball brilliance... awesome. Then I came back to Earth.

There was a recent thread about this.

Typical chimney fire signs (where folks tend to notice): flame belching out of the chimney, sounds like a freight train barrelling through your stove, Boeing 747 about to take off or Jags' motorized wheelchair with an after-market muffler about to take on a Corvette, firefighters are knocking on your door wanting to throw evil, yellow powder into your stove

The subtle signs (where you might not realize you had/have a chimney fire): Creosote or black ash all strewn about on the fresh fallen snow, a rain-like sound in your chimney or the kids come in licking gray snowcones that they made from the snow near your chimney

The not-so-subtle signs you had a really bad chimney fire: You're living with your mother-in-law in your wife's bedroom that she had when she was a kid . . . or spending the night at Motel 6 while watching your home burn once again on the Local News at 11

 

[fbelec]

hey jake actually the exting is the quickest way. the guy's came in stuck the exting hose up the pipe and done. it was out before they got a chance to pull out the water. thank god. and it was a big one. 5 foot flames coming out of the top of the chimney. great bunch of guys here. i even meet the capt. cool as a cucumber. the weird thing was watching the firefighter with the mask on sticking his head just about in the chimney to see if there was anything still lit

 

[woodjack]

[quote author="Constrictor" date="1232794018"]

 

[woodjack]

Everyone with an airtight stove should have their own chimney cleaning brush and rod, and then plan on inducing a controlled chimney flue fire once a month.

Here are a couple of other things you should do, just to err on the side of caution.
Stick your head in the toilet bowl every week during the summer so you know the feeling of being under water so you won't panic at the neighborhood pool.

Light a small fire in your bedroom and rush everyone out of the house. it's a great fire drill.

 

[Wallyworld]

I came home late one january night, the only heat in the house was my 2 ft box stove. Threw in some paper and kindling to get that baby humping. Shortly thereafter I heard a roar, went to the stove and said oops, my chimney was cranking, sounded like a freight train going by. SHut that baby down but the chimney was going good. Grabbed an extinguisher, opened up the cleanout door on the chimney, gave it a spray and it went out. Masonary chimney about 30 feet long, it was some scary. Didn't sleep to well that night.
I've heard that one should keep a bucket of wet newspapers by the stove, not sure if works or not, sounds like it would. Me I'd stay from chimney fires if at all possible. I burn good wood, inspect my chimeny with a light and a mirror from the cleanout door, clean if nessasary. Personnally I like SS chimneys, stay hotter and don't seem to have the build up like a masonary one does. During the summer the creosote seems to slough off with out cleaning

 

[freeburn]

What is the crackling sound that you hear in the black pipe when the temp reads 500-600 degrees from the stove to masonry chimney? Is that creosote cracking off and burning or is that just the sound a hot fire makes in the chimney? Is that sound a good thing or bad? I've got a 20+ ft chimney.

Another question for a dummy, how is a masonry chimney measured, from the floor or from where the pipe is inserted into it from the stove?

One more, is it a bad thing for flames to go up the black pipe coming out of your stove/furnace?