One of the neighbors whom I've never met personally just came over looking for info on woodstoves and chimney. He moved in about 8 months ago, and never looked into his set up or check the chimney. He had a chimney fire on monday. He heard the train a common, and saw the red pipe and luckily was able to snuff out the fire. Upon taking to him, the stove isn't mobile home approved, not the pipe, clearances okay, but chimney too short. I educated him, so we'll see what happens.
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Those are never fun. I had one last February and it scared the pants off of me. The stove top got up almost to 900 and the pipe was red hot just above the stop top. Although no flames were coming out of the top, there were A LOT of spark coming out of the top. Luckily I was able to get it under control by shutting the air down and shutting the damper. By the time the fire dept got here, it had calmed down.
Wow.
I have a new couple that moved in a few months after I did last year.
He cuts/splits wood to burn that year in Sept/october... leaves in it a heap... don't see any stacks around his house.
When my inspector came out on Saturday (I was on my way home from work and he came by early), he said he actually thought my house was my neighbors at first! My house is a little tricky to see from the road so it's easily passed by. He said he thought the house was on fire the smoke was so bad. So he stopped by to check and saw it actually was just smoke coming out of the chimney. So maybe I'll be in a similar situation as you are some day
I didn't see the smoke or anything by the time I got home... however I bet one day I will since I can see his house pretty easily without all the leaves on trees.
Did you advise him to check out the chimney and all the connectors to make sure it's still safe to burn?
Don't forget... the best advice you can do is tell him to come over to hearth.com
I have a new couple that moved in a few months after I did last year.
He cuts/splits wood to burn that year in Sept/october... leaves in it a heap... don't see any stacks around his house.
When my inspector came out on Saturday (I was on my way home from work and he came by early), he said he actually thought my house was my neighbors at first! My house is a little tricky to see from the road so it's easily passed by. He said he thought the house was on fire the smoke was so bad. So he stopped by to check and saw it actually was just smoke coming out of the chimney. So maybe I'll be in a similar situation as you are some day
I didn't see the smoke or anything by the time I got home... however I bet one day I will since I can see his house pretty easily without all the leaves on trees.
Did you advise him to check out the chimney and all the connectors to make sure it's still safe to burn?
Don't forget... the best advice you can do is tell him to come over to hearth.com
Sadly, many of the folks who have chimney fires learn nothing. I hope you have better luck educating him. Send him to hearth.com
Yes, thats why he stopped by. His stove pipe warped real bad up in his ceiling, upon checking it out deeper he found holes in it. I explained everything about stove safety, the new stoves, what an epa does, how often to clean chimney, truly seasoned wood, and with him in my 80 deg living room with it 25 outside, he stuck around and listened.
My Oslo heats my home said:
I gave up trying to educate some of my "friends". They cut thier wood in the spring/early summer to burn the following winter. That may be okay for some woods but when it is mostly oak and stacked in a 8x6x8 pile then 100% covered in a tarp its not gonna be ready.
They like chimney fires. I don't think they've had a bad one but they do like how a chimney fire is "natures way of cleaning out the chimney". They have double was so "its meant to do that".
Actually, I am not friends with these people any more....but for other reasons.
Retired Guy
Minister of Fire
Had a neighbor, and friend, that was the cheapest sob on the face of the earth - even though he could buy and sell me many times over. He put in a wood stove and installed single wall stove pipe as his chimney. He cut his wood in Sept. to burn that winter. In November of each year he would start burning and around Thanksgiving he would have his annual chimney fire. Sure enough, the FD would come by and put the fire out and rip the chimney down. After the third year, the chief told him that they wouldn't be coming back! Ever!
He took the stove out and tried to sell it to me for more than he paid.
He took the stove out and tried to sell it to me for more than he paid.
Backwoods said:
Good for you. Let's hope he listened. Did you recommend he log on here if he has more questions?
Yes I did, as a matter of fact, I spoke with a truck driver that was coming into my job for a pickup, and we started talking woodstove, he has been burning his for 7 years now, with pre epa style, and has never cleaned his chimney, and he doesn't because he burns some chimney cleaning logs in it. He said he looked up inside and its been clean for 7 years. I said it wouldn't hurt to get it cleaned anyway, its been a long time. Do those"sweep" logs even work??
Backwoods said:
I think it was concluded that they "soften up" they very hard glass like creosote on the chimney so they can be swept away easier afterward. But they were in no case a replacement for sweeping.
blacktail
Minister of Fire
My parents have a neighbor from hell. I've encouraged them NOT to tell the neighbor or call the fire department when he has a chimney fire. It may be their best chance of him leaving the neighborhood. He burns garbage in his insert and has a chimney fire at least once a year. He just laughs and thinks it's a way of cleaning it.
There are . . . or at least were . . . some folks in the town I used to volunteer with that we could count on calling us at least once every winter for a chimney fire . . . it was quite annoying since you knew they were simply too ignorant or lazy to learn how to burn or at least sweep their chimney.
Yup we have their relatives. We're on a three year cycle, and after the fire's out we pull out 6 or more pails of crap and he looks right at us and swears that he just cleaned the chimney. If I were chief we'd put it out with an 1.75" hose and watch the chimney crack. Safer both for him and our firefighters. Be safe.firefighterjake said:
Ed
Backwoods said:
what do you mean by this? does it actually sound like a train when there is a chimney fire? anyone got some audio ?
Backwoods Savage said:
sometimes my draft pulses some, i wonder if it sounds like that, i will have to record it next time, sounds like woof woof woof woof, and the blazeking door with shake a bit but its never to high of temps, its usually on reloading it does that i think its the smoke catching fire.
You will know it if it happens, no mistaken the sound. Call the fire dept. right away and get the troops coming. You never know if it got into the walls, attic or roof areas. Most depts. have heat seeking cameras and won't have to tear the house down but waiting even a few minutes can make a big difference. Don't open the stove door and let more air feed the fire. And beware of all the good tips on what to put in your stove to solve the problem, unless there is no fire dept. nearby. Make sure children and pets are out of the house and avoid the smoke/carbon monoxide. No house is worth a life. Much easier to just burn dry wood and keep the chimney clean and in good safe working order. Be safe.
Ed
Ed
Backwoods Savage said:
I heard many a chimney fire growing up, and the sound reminded me of a rocket during take-off. The smell was unmistakeable. We had them so often that I never really had a fear of them until I got older and realized what could happen if they get through the chimney or if the spark shower reached our barn.
So, with the firefighters talking in here... Do you recommend Chimfex? Or whatever that log is called that supposedly puts it out?
What about a fire extingusher being fired in to the firebox?
Or should we just shut down the stove and wait for the troops to arrive?
I hardly ever get cell reception out here, and don't have a land line. So if I really had an emergency... I'd have to run down to the farmer and ask to call for help
It's only temporary, once my house is done I'll have everything set up and I should be fine in an emergency.
What about a fire extingusher being fired in to the firebox?
Or should we just shut down the stove and wait for the troops to arrive?
I hardly ever get cell reception out here, and don't have a land line. So if I really had an emergency... I'd have to run down to the farmer and ask to call for help
It's only temporary, once my house is done I'll have everything set up and I should be fine in an emergency.
Bub381
Minister of Fire
I bought the Chimfex, how can it hurt? Not sure an extinguisher would get to that area.I have a few of those too though.
You mean the manufacturing facility that burned down. You're between a rock and a hard place. Don't get hurt or need a medical emergency either. We use baggies filled with dry chemical, same as used in the fire extinguishers. Drop one or two down the chimney and the work well. A shot or two of an extinguisher stops the stove fire but be careful that you don't blow flaming wood out the stove. Just crack the door then shut it tight and don't re open. And we all tend to panic when it's our house on fire. Try a local fire dept. for powdered dry chemical but today we all worry about liability. Would I recommend the above instead of calling the fire dept., no way, unless you have great insurance and don't mind loosing everything. Either way, people and pets out and stay out. Dry wood, clean and safe chimneys rarely burn. Be safe.
Ed
Ed
Bub381 said:
extinguisher would just force co2 in to there, so when the chimney is drafting and sucking up air, it's actually sucking up the co2 and would put it out... in theory I think.
But that's why I'm asking the experts
I think it's the same philosophy as chimfex. One guy said don't open the stove door, so I don't know if that meant don't open it at all or if there's an exception if you have chimfex handy
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