Chimeny fire
How many of you have had a chimeny fire, because of you fire place insert being dampered down to long? I can remember burning green wood , and having a ten foot flame shoot out about ten foot high. I had a flames shooting six inches above my chimeny. Some neighbor called the fire department, next thing i knew people were all over my front yard.Instead of ringing the door bell, they tried climbing over the back fence. The dog started barking , i grabed a gun. First the firemen wanted me to damper the fire down, so i did, then they wanted all the coals taken out so i started to take the coals out. They then told me they would do it. They got more ashes on the carpet an all over the den. I'll get a chimeny sweeper out here tomorrow, i just can't believe how paraniod a firemen can get. Its been colder then usual here this year . I checked the chimeny out this fall , the chimeny was clean. I'm stuck with spending the money for a chimeny sweeper coming out, other wise i'd light a fire during the day, and get it going full bore , to get it cleaned. I'm just glad i didn' kill someone tonight.
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A lady I work with nearly lost her house to a chimney fire just a few weeks back.It will be several months before they can move back in.You were lucky. 0 -
Victor,
I know it was disconcerting for you, but my uncle's house burned down five years ago because of a chimney fire, so let's just take it that the good lord was watching out for Victor and his family by giving him a warning that it was time to clean it out.
I thank God all of you are safe and nothing burned. Take care and God bless.
Danny0 -
The chimeny will be cleaned out tomorrow , by a chimeny sweeper. I'm sure a good hot fire would do the same. The chimeny has about an eight inch of gunk in it. 0 -
A good hot fire WILL set fire to the creosote in the flue. It will also toss burning gobs of creosote onto your roof. And possibly damage the flue tiles. And possibly put flame thru a tile joint into your house. It is about the time of year for chimney fires. I use ACS spray to reduce (but not eliminate) creosote buildup. ONE means of snuffing out a chimney fire- a water spray bottle- spray onto the hot coals thoroughly, creating steam, then shut off the draft- steam snuffs fire. Inserts are bad for creosote- many are only slid into place, and not connected to throat of fireplace. Yer lucky, dude. 0 -
I know a few fireman and some LIVE to destroy property. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by slipgate
I know a few fireman and some LIVE to destroy property.
Yep. That being said, as a volunteer firefighter, I have responded to numerous chimeny fires and several that turned into structure fires. Those people don't have a home any more. Why won't people keep their stacks clean? I DO NOT enjoy being startled awake at 1:30 in the morning because some guy set his house on fire.0 -
Is your fireplace insert an open fireplace, or is it an air-controlled wood stove? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by MT357
quote:Originally posted by slipgate
I know a few fireman and some LIVE to destroy property.
Yep. That being said, as a volunteer firefighter, I have responded to numerous chimeny fires and several that turned into structure fires. Those people don't have a home any more. Why won't people keep their stacks clean? I DO NOT enjoy being startled awake at 1:30 in the morning because some guy set his house on fire.
You should tell them that when their house is burning down. I'm sure it'll be welcome and helpful. [}:)]0 -
I only burn wood that has cured for at least a year, and only clean the pipes twice a year as a rule.
It is a insert but it's connected directly to the S/S triplewall pipe, and it runs 24/7....
Green wood, and closed dampers can, and will burn your house down.....0 -
I clean mine once a month
$70 dollar brush and pole 15 mins once a month is cheap maintenance.
glad to here you are still around to talk about it.0 -
My Bro.In Law had one last winter. He sprayed the coals,and closed-down the damper,and it snuffed-out. Next day, called a "Sweep" 2 days later, guy shows-up. Chimney is CLEAN AS A WHISTLE. Dude ran a brush down it once, charged him $150. No-Doubt laughed all the way to the bank!! 0 -
originally posted by victorlvlb:
i just can't believe how paranoid a firemen can get.
originally posted by slipgate:
i know a few firemen and some live to destroy property
I couldn't let this one get by without a reply. Do either of you have any experience in structural fire suppression or do you have family that work in the profession?
I will try to give you a little insight as to why firefighters are the way they are. I work for a city fire department in the Piedmont of NC. We, as a department, go no more than two days without having at least one working structure fire. We have good reason for doing some of the things you consider "destructive". I will not try to teach a fire behavior class in this post, but i will try to explain the reasoning for some of our "renovations".
1) Our #1 priority, on any incident, is life safety; the safety of
our lives as well as yours. Often, when we respond to a fire,
we have absolutely no idea if any occupants are entrapped. Until
proven otherwise, we always assume there are. Tempertures in a
structure fire are high; very high, and the environment contains
several highly toxic, superheated gases. When we cut a hole in
the roof of a structure, or take out windows, we are trying to
accomplish several things in the process:
1. Creating ventilation holes allows the toxic gases, smoke,
and superheated air to escape. This increases the chances
of survivability for occupants and fire personnel. There
is no way to make structural fire suppression safe, but if
there are things we can do to give us an edge and increase
our chances of going home in the morning, we will.
2. After a fire is extinguished, you may see where we have
pulled ceilings, walls, cabinetry, etc. This is done to
ensure there are no hidden fires or hotspots that could
reignite and cause further loss of what we have just tried
to save.
"Paranoid"? Yes, very much so, and with good reason. The smell of burning flesh is a smell that you never forget. It stays with you for life. Years after you first smell it, you may smell a particular
odor that triggers it, and you can still smell it. It is horrible. I wish that the only things we ever had to pull out of a house was smoldering mattresses, clothes, appliances, or furniture. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. If being paranoid while doing inspections or being thorough after a fire has occured will decrease the likelihood of a fire or prevent reignition of a fire, then yes, we are guilty of being paranoid.
Remember this; we may not know you personally, but when you call us, at any time, we will put ourselves in harm's way to protect you or your property; that's our job.0 -
I've had the fireplace insert since 1979. This is the first time its ever done what it did last night. I've burnt more this year ,( because of global warming),then ever before. When we first built the den in 76 we used the fireplace and the flu did get dirty one time. The fireplace pro will be here tomorrow to inspect and clean out the flu.
Its funny now all the ideas the firemen came up with. They finaly agreed to use squrits of foam down the flu. If they had used water it would of been a mess to clean up.0 -
quote:Originally posted by fishkiller41
My Bro.In Law had one last winter. He sprayed the coals,and closed-down the damper,and it snuffed-out. Next day, called a "Sweep" 2 days later, guy shows-up. Chimney is CLEAN AS A WHISTLE. Dude ran a brush down it once, charged him $150. No-Doubt laughed all the way to the bank!!
That is why I bought my own brush0 -
quote:Originally posted by fishkiller41
My Bro.In Law had one last winter. He sprayed the coals,and closed-down the damper,and it snuffed-out. Next day, called a "Sweep" 2 days later, guy shows-up. Chimney is CLEAN AS A WHISTLE. Dude ran a brush down it once, charged him $150. No-Doubt laughed all the way to the bank!!
I'm certain the man drove home in his new F350, pulled into his heated garage, and soaked his tired bones in his indoor mineral water basin before Alfred, his butler, brought him his African Lobster for dinner.
Ben0 -
I had a neighbor that almost lost his house b/c of a chimney fire...he was able to rebuild it. I'm glad to hear you did not have any major problems.
On another note, the wife and I were awoken to a house full of smoke las night...I'm not sure what caused it.0 -
*sigh* A family in our community just lost their house last night to fire. A couple years ago I had given them a smoke detector. 0 -
..Standard Fusee Company makes a chimney fire extinguisher that looks like an over size road flare. It lights the same way...pull off the cap and scratch it on the end. Toss it in the stove or fireplace and close the doors. It creates volumes of gases that inhibit fire. I always have one on the mantle or nearby. Never needed one, but it's always there. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by wsfiredude
originally posted by victorlvlb:
i just can't believe how paranoid a firemen can get.
originally posted by slipgate:
i know a few firemen and some live to destroy property
I couldn't let this one get by without a reply. Do either of you have any experience in structural fire suppression or do you have family that work in the profession?
I will try to give you a little insight as to why firefighters are the way they are. I work for a city fire department in the Piedmont of NC. We, as a department, go no more than two days without having at least one working structure fire. We have good reason for doing some of the things you consider "destructive". I will not try to teach a fire behavior class in this post, but i will try to explain the reasoning for some of our "renovations".
1) Our #1 priority, on any incident, is life safety; the safety of
our lives as well as yours. Often, when we respond to a fire,
we have absolutely no idea if any occupants are entrapped. Until
proven otherwise, we always assume there are. Tempertures in a
structure fire are high; very high, and the environment contains
several highly toxic, superheated gases. When we cut a hole in
the roof of a structure, or take out windows, we are trying to
accomplish several things in the process:
1. Creating ventilation holes allows the toxic gases, smoke,
and superheated air to escape. This increases the chances
of survivability for occupants and fire personnel. There
is no way to make structural fire suppression safe, but if
there are things we can do to give us an edge and increase
our chances of going home in the morning, we will.
2. After a fire is extinguished, you may see where we have
pulled ceilings, walls, cabinetry, etc. This is done to
ensure there are no hidden fires or hotspots that could
reignite and cause further loss of what we have just tried
to save.
"Paranoid"? Yes, very much so, and with good reason. The smell of burning flesh is a smell that you never forget. It stays with you for life. Years after you first smell it, you may smell a particular
odor that triggers it, and you can still smell it. It is horrible. I wish that the only things we ever had to pull out of a house was smoldering mattresses, clothes, appliances, or furniture. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. If being paranoid while doing inspections or being thorough after a fire has occured will decrease the likelihood of a fire or prevent reignition of a fire, then yes, we are guilty of being paranoid.
Remember this; we may not know you personally, but when you call us, at any time, we will put ourselves in harm's way to protect you or your property; that's our job.
Thanks for posting that. Nothing like hearing someone whine about a few ashes when someone else is willing to die to save their house/life huh?0 -
originally posted by gagirl:
Thanks for posting that. Nothing like hearing someone whine about a few ashes when someone else is willing to die to save their house/life huh?
gagirl. thx. it is nice to be appreciated.[:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by wsfiredude
originally posted by gagirl:
Thanks for posting that. Nothing like hearing someone whine about a few ashes when someone else is willing to die to save their house/life huh?
gagirl. thx. it is nice to be appreciated.[:D]
hubby is Fire Chief for our city. I worry everyday about all you guys. Much love and respect for ALL fire fighters!0 -
thx[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D] 0 -
wsfiredude...the neighbor I spoke of above...the fire dept came out and supposedly put out the fire in the chimney and left...a little while later, the entire house went up. There ended up being some embers or something burning in the attic that they did not find the first time around....so I definitely understand them needing to make sure the fire is completely out. 0 -
thx ECC[:D] 0 -
For the past 30yrs., we've typically had 2 flue fires per year.
Luckily we've always been home, and they were easily taken care of.
We just shut the damper (indoor wood furnace, with triple wall
stainless flue), and squirt the section of pipe on the first floor with
water, keeping it cool enough to keep the ceiling/floor from igniting.
Until this year we heated solely with wood, and this had us burning
a lot during moderate weather...which is which makes for a lot of the
vreosote problem. This year I had an elec. furnace tied in with it
and burn that until we can have a good hot wood fire..in hopes to
help cut down the creosote.
I've seen studies done that say there's not really much difference
in burning wet vs. dry wood, and it seems to be true. We usually
have 2 flue fires a year, regardless if burning wet or dry.
Glad to hear you all faired well.[:)]0 -
I don't want to hijack the thread - so, GAGIRL please contact me - likemhot 0 -
quote:Originally posted by likemhot
I don't want to hijack the thread - so, GAGIRL please contact me - likemhot
ummm... how? you can email me at Nadinegardner@darientel.net0 -
I've seen studies done that say there's not really much difference
in burning wet vs. dry wood, and it seems to be true.
That is true, more or less. In fact, in a controlled-air wood stove, wet or green wood produces LESS creosote than dry wood does.
The opposite is true for a fireplace. You should burn dry wood in fireplaces.
I can post the studies if someone really wants.0 -
I also am the fire chief of a volenteer fire department
Just thank God and the firefighters that showed up that you have a place to sleep tonight.
thats all I'm going to say - could write a book on just a small fire or just a chimeny fire, or just a _____________________________0 -
We watched a house burn down because of a chimney fire in Buchanan, Michigan.
It was spectacular.
... made us believers - we have ours checked every five years.
[8D]0
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