I haven't been around here since last winter, simply because my fire building and stove operation has been completely trouble free. That changed a few nights ago. Napoleon 1900, btw. Came home, started a fire. One split, split down into strips, lasts an hour to make a coal bed. No paper, etc. Good starter temp in the yellow on my temp meter. Load up three decent size splits on the bottom, two more on top. Not "full", but a good load. Let it catch for awhile, then turned the air down and went upstairs for supper. I have a webcam pointed right at the meter on my pipe, btw. Wife checked the fire when walking by the stairs (split ranch), and said "the fire was out". I told her it wasn't out, it would still be hot, and it just needed a little more air. So, she opened the flue a bit (from LOW to 2 or 3). I was still eating, so I checked the web cam five minutes later. I couldn't see the needle so I rushed down the stairs to check it out. Needle was well into the OVERFIRE, approaching 800 and climbing fast. I yelled for her to turn on the blower (I have the kit on the back, it will bring temps down), but it was too late. I could hear bad noises in the pipe, and watched a little spark fall from a pipe joint on the vertical/horizontal transition. Did everything I could remember from reading on here. Opened the door all the way, shut off the air completely. Nope. Time for 911. She called, while I dumped a box of kindling. I use old plastic recycle boxes, so I began pulling logs out, throwing in the box, and running them up and out the front door. That's when things got smoky inside of course, and the alarm went off. Wife was discussing with 911, and checked the outside pipe, there were glowing embers floating down from it.
First volunteer showed up in about three minutes, had four guys in under five min when the first truck arrived. Three trucks responded. They did the throw a cup of water in and shut the door trick (that I had forgotten), and took the remaining coals and ash out in my bucket. We pulled the wall plate to check, and thankfully zero damage. I had a WETT inspection done when I bought this place, and there is nothing near the pipe. It does a 90, goes into double wall, then straight out through concrete before turning vertical outside.
After confirming no house damage, and checking for zero C02 (and my detector didn't go off, either). they got the ladder out and checked the pipe outside from top to bottom, pulling both the cap and the clean out. Said "that pipe is really clean!"
I'm really mad at myself for letting it get away. I take pride in having a good fire, done safely. This happened so fast. Please be careful out there.
First volunteer showed up in about three minutes, had four guys in under five min when the first truck arrived. Three trucks responded. They did the throw a cup of water in and shut the door trick (that I had forgotten), and took the remaining coals and ash out in my bucket. We pulled the wall plate to check, and thankfully zero damage. I had a WETT inspection done when I bought this place, and there is nothing near the pipe. It does a 90, goes into double wall, then straight out through concrete before turning vertical outside.
After confirming no house damage, and checking for zero C02 (and my detector didn't go off, either). they got the ladder out and checked the pipe outside from top to bottom, pulling both the cap and the clean out. Said "that pipe is really clean!"
I'm really mad at myself for letting it get away. I take pride in having a good fire, done safely. This happened so fast. Please be careful out there.
