https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/ex...e0c178733/blaze-heavily-damages-farmhous.html
Check out the unusual cause
Check out the unusual cause
Fire Cause
- Thread starter paulnlee
- Start date
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vwmike
Feeling the Heat
Very sad but just more reinforcement for a properly installed liner from stove top to chimney top!
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Its unknown if the fire was started by the stove or chimney, it could have started in the sill plate from bad wiring and rode up the wall into the attic, old balloon frame structures don't have fire stops, I once fought a fire about 16 yrs ago (started by the fireplace that had cracks in the masonry) that was thought to be a room and contents fire (living room) very smoky and we knocked it out pretty fast, we were kind of high fiving while walking out the porch when we looked up at the attic and saw fire and smoke pouring out the top eves, the fire blew up the wall while we were knocking it out with the hoses and caught the attic up. Learning lesson when working in older houses.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Maybe I'm just being oblivious . . . but does the article say what the cause is . . . beside the Chief saying "it was an unusual cause?"
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
I responded to a friends old house for a chimney fire. His wife (a real sweetheart) called it in. He was mad she did it LOL. Lots of junk down in the clean out pit. Choked it off gave it a little water and watched it cool down for a while.
It was shortly after that they tore the house down and built a fresh one in its place.
It was shortly after that they tore the house down and built a fresh one in its place.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
This is a fine example of why modifications and/or renovations require proper permits, design, review, AND inspection.
"
An unusual cause to the fire
The original home had an exterior fireplace, he began. Nearly a century ago, an extension was put on the home and the fireplace was closed in, but remained connected to the chimney, he said.
Some time later, a wood stove was added to the original part of the home and the metal pipe tapped into the chimney, loading it up with creosote over the years, Lake said. Creosote began to crumble off the chimney walls and fall into the hidden fireplace below, Lake said. The pile was two feet tall when it was finally exposed Monday night, Lake said..."
"
An unusual cause to the fire
The original home had an exterior fireplace, he began. Nearly a century ago, an extension was put on the home and the fireplace was closed in, but remained connected to the chimney, he said.
Some time later, a wood stove was added to the original part of the home and the metal pipe tapped into the chimney, loading it up with creosote over the years, Lake said. Creosote began to crumble off the chimney walls and fall into the hidden fireplace below, Lake said. The pile was two feet tall when it was finally exposed Monday night, Lake said..."
Last edited:
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Kenny I can't quote you but the post after yours has the cause. Don't know how he got it, when I went to my link it wasn't there but it was in the paper
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
"Metal pipe (liner?) tapped into chimney." Sounds like a slammer that was never cleaned. Having to remove the stove just to sweep certainly would be a PITA.
If there is a pipe it is not a slammer. It says the fireplace was closed and then a pipe was cut into the chimney. This was very common and we still see them occasionally. And yes they are very dangerous
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
I see what you mean. I was thinking it was an insert which is why they couldn't see the creosote that was accumulating. How could they not see the problem; just loading up above the damper?
It was just dropping into the old fireplace or onto the old smokeshelf. The pipe was probably just cut into the smokechamber. They couldnt see it because the fireplace was closed up
The link I follow has that comment, 2 more pictures and then a heading and more text where he explains what he found. Maybe the entire page isn't loading for you
electrathon
Minister of Fire
Our barrel stove that we heated with up in Alaska was installed that way. Stove sat in the opening, 3" of pipe. Block off plate to seal it up. Was that way for 20 years. Made lots of heat. It was pulled and the fireplace made to look like a fireplace again when the house was sold (couldn't heat anything with that monstrosity of a fireplace).
The article cut off on me too, could only read up to the unusual cause part.
Ok again this stove was not run through the fireplace. It says the fireplace was closed off. The pipe was probably run through a hole into the smoke chamber or the chimney and all the creosote just fell and piled up in the old fireplace.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
The cause was "slammer", which isn't that unusual. If it had been lined it would have been fine.
It was a little worse than a regular slammer because the old fireplace was blocked off and accumulating a mountain of creosote where you couldn't see it- so there were a few feet of stovepipe but it wasn't lined up the chimney.
(edit: just read the rest of the thread and this has all been explained already, never mind
)An unusual cause to the fire
The original home had an exterior fireplace, he began. Nearly a century ago, an extension was put on the home and the fireplace was closed in, but remained connected to the chimney, he said.
Some time later, a wood stove was added to the original part of the home and the metal pipe tapped into the chimney, loading it up with creosote over the years, Lake said. Creosote began to crumble off the chimney walls and fall into the hidden fireplace below, Lake said. The pile was two feet tall when it was finally exposed Monday night, Lake said.
Creosote is made up of unburned hydrocarbons, so all it need was a spark, Lake said.
"And it went from there," Lake said.
Again THIS WAS NOT A SLAMMER. It says a metal pipe was tapped into the chimney. It also says the fireplace was closed up. A slammer is an insert that is just slid into a fireplace opening with no connection to the chimney. You cannot have a slammer install if the fireplace is closed off.
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
jetsam
Minister of Fire
"A very common example of this is the fireplace insert or woodstove which is vented without a proper liner into the smoke chamber of a typical fireplace. This is a real problem. This type of installation is commonly referred to as a slammer."
The installation in the story certainly meets this definition of what a slammer is, and that's from a company that makes liners.
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