My husband and I just bought a house with a wood stove. niether one of us has ever had one before. A couple of times when we've had fires going there's been a very quiet crackling in the stovepipe. It worried us at first but I talked to the previous owner who said she had cleaned the chimney 3 times last season. Since most sites I've seen said clean at least once a year and ours was done 3 times we thought we were in the clear. UNTIL, I read on the FAQ here that chimney fires can sometimes sound like cornflakes being poured down the chimney! Oh Dear! that means we've had a couple. Does this mean that there will have to be any repairs made? the fires never escalated to flames out the chimney or the roaring sound that is often described. I'm home alone and it happened to me again so I just shut down the thermostat and am not touching it until someone cleans it out. I just hope no serious damage has been done!