Fireplace shovel caught fire... advice?

[Raven172]

Pretty much what the title says. I was moving coals around and banking a fire (newly learned skill for me, I'm pretty new to owning a wood stove) and the black paint coating on the fireplace shovel I have caught fire. Pretty nasty toxic smell to it too.

Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice? I looked around for a straight stainless steel fireplace shovel and they don't seem to really exist. I found some short coal shovels, but nothing like the one I hang with the rest of my fireplace tools.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Caw]

That's happened to me before. I'm pretty sure it's just the paint on the shovel burning off...similar to how a new stove gives off that chemical smell the first few burns. It'll eventually stop. When mine did that I just put it outside on the front steps for a bit and let it cool off.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like it was made for show and not for go. Strip the paint off or get an unpainted one. There are several on Amazon under "Fireplace shovels".
Amazon product ASIN B08LMV122Q
Amazon product ASIN B07HF6DR6Z

 

[stoveliker]

I had the same thing happen on my ash bucket. Nice black, with lid and small shovel. Well, that was too small as the hairs on my arm burned off. So I took the long shovel, scooped ashes out, but they were hot and still contained some glowing coals that had been buried.
Put them in the bin, and after a minute (while trying to separate ashes and coals in the stove), I started smelling something. The paint on the bucket was smoking and blistering...

The only positive thing here was that I sure as heck did not forget to put the hot ashes outside on the driveway (CO risk!)...

I got a bbq "rake" (no teeth, just a plate) to rearrange coals before reloading. Stainless, no paint (wouldn't want to fume your burger...), and long enough.

Getting the right tools, i.e. tools that work for you in your situation, is a learning curve...

 

[jetsam]

My chimney cap came with extruded stainless bird mesh. I had thrown it in the garage and forgot about it for years. This year I cut a piece off and strapped it to a piece of rebar. It makes a great coal shaking shovel (use it to pick the big coals out and dump them off to the side, then shovel the ash).

 

[MoDoug]

I gave my stove a good cleaning yesterday, and I got a little impatient on waiting for the coals to die down, used my black painted "shovel", and it started smoking like the dickens. Held the shovel up in the stove for the smoke to go up the pipe, then set it aside.

My stove has an ash tray that I don't mind shoving coals into, then use my welding gloves to take it outside to the fire pit.

 

[MTY]

Many years ago, I cut the handle off a #2 shovel. I have a more or less decorative fireplace tool set with a shovel, but the #2 does the real work.

 

[jetsam]

I only light a few fires a year, so I always do hot cleanouts- moving a load of red hot coals over to get at some ash, then moving it back at the other side to get at more.

If I have a stove tool that had black paint on it at one time, it doesn't have it anymore!

 

[Caw]

My chimney cap came with extruded stainless bird mesh. I had thrown it in the garage and forgot about it for years. This year I cut a piece off and strapped it to a piece of rebar. It makes a great coal shaking shovel (use it to pick the big coals out and dump them off to the side, then shovel the ash).

View attachment 273225

 

[NoGoodAtScreenNames]

We inherited some fireplace tools from the prior owner when we bought the house. They used Duraflames in the open fireplace. When we put the insert in my wife was a little nervous about safety / my ability to burn the house down. The first few fires I would let go out completely before starting a new one. When I finally got the nerve to do a hot reload, I used the shovel to pull the coals forward. A little ember got stuck on the end. Then all of a sudden it just exploded into flame and the flame started creeping up toward the handle. I didn’t want to carry a torch through the house, but I also didn’t want to ask my nervous-about-me-burning-the-house-down-wife for help because that would prove that I shouldn’t be trusted if I can make a piece of metal catch on fire. But I swallowed my pride and had her bring some water over, which was the responsible thing to do.

After that I got a new set of tools. Worked out well as I got a mini-set which are much easier to work with in the insert than full sized fireplace tools.

 

[Raven172]

Awesome all. Really appreciate the advice. I ordered one of the steel only pieces linked earlier. Coming in on Thursday. If there's no paint, it can't catch on fire right?

All this is relatively new to me. New house that has a Hearthstone Clydesdale that I've slowly been learning and turning more and more into the primary heat (place also has oil). I've enjoyed the learning, but that shovel catching on fire was a new one for me. =) It was one of those "comes in a set with a poker and log grabber" kind of things on a stand next to the fireplace.

 

[MoDoug]

We inherited some fireplace tools from the prior owner when we bought the house. They used Duraflames in the open fireplace. When we put the insert in my wife was a little nervous about safety / my ability to burn the house down. The first few fires I would let go out completely before starting a new one. When I finally got the nerve to do a hot reload, I used the shovel to pull the coals forward. A little ember got stuck on the end. Then all of a sudden it just exploded into flame and the flame started creeping up toward the handle. I didn’t want to carry a torch through the house, but I also didn’t want to ask my nervous-about-me-burning-the-house-down-wife for help because that would prove that I shouldn’t be trusted if I can make a piece of metal catch on fire. But I swallowed my pride and had her bring some water over, which was the responsible thing to do.

After that I got a new set of tools. Worked out well as I got a mini-set which are much easier to work with in the insert than full sized fireplace tools.

When you're new to having fire in your house, I think we all have some humbling moments.

 

[vatmark]

I have a hand forged iron fireplace set. Pretty sure it will never catch on fire.

 

[velvetfoot]

With the recent cold weather here I've been keeping the insert hotter. I've taken to piling the coals to one side or other with a poker, then taking a split and damming it up higher. I've used a machete to pile up the coals in the past...I might break that out again, but the poker does an ok job in combo with the split. I do use welder's gloves.

For taking out the ashes, I use a covered stainless steel ash scoop contraption. Works well. Luckily, I cleaned out the ashes before the recent cold snap, with isn't much of a snap, just a couple -5F days.

 

[BURNard]

Never, but I can see how it could happen. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DeadTreeBurner]

Pretty much what the title says. I was moving coals around and banking a fire (newly learned skill for me, I'm pretty new to owning a wood stove) and the black paint coating on the fireplace shovel I have caught fire. Pretty nasty toxic smell to it too.

Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice? I looked around for a straight stainless steel fireplace shovel and they don't seem to really exist. I found some short coal shovels, but nothing like the one I hang with the rest of my fireplace tools.

Thanks for any help!

Like others have said, yes. I recently bought a shorter ash shovel from Tractor Supply and was moving coals around the other day and the paint caught fire and started burning. It smelled pretty nasty, they clearly didn't use appropriate high temp paint, which is pretty dumb. As soon as I get a chance, I'll be taking it outside and burning the rest of the paint off with a propane weed burner. Might complain to TS as well.

 

[jetsam]

Like others have said, yes. I recently bought a shorter ash shovel from Tractor Supply and was moving coals around the other day and the paint caught fire and started burning. It smelled pretty nasty, they clearly didn't use appropriate high temp paint, which is pretty dumb. As soon as I get a chance, I'll be taking it outside and burning the rest of the paint off with a propane weed burner. Might complain to TS as well.

I don't think there is a paint that will survive shoveling red hot coal. I know stove paint doesn't even survive on the outside of my ash can, and the can has it easier than the shovel does.

 

[firefighterjake]

Paint burning off . . . no big deal . . . once burned off you shouldn't have a problem in the future.