A damaged chimney can spread fire … One excellent way to prevent fire is by using a chimney liner since it reduces chimney fire. Here’s how to prevent chimney fires: • Have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year. We suggest a few tips below, and include some information on common problems associated with woodstoves and fireplaces. Drentel - When you keep a brick chimney clean, there is no greater risk of fire than there is with other methods of heating, such as a boiler, gas furnace or whatever. Most chimney fires are the result of carelessness and a lack of chimney care and maintenance. A few simple ways to help prevent a chimney fire are outlined below. Temperatures in a chimney fire can exceed 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius). So if you are planning to build a chimney a home addition , do consider using chimney cap. “Sometimes, people don't do the maintenance of keeping their fireplace clean, especially the flue,” said Jerry Craddock. Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, which damage or destroy homes and injure people. These are byproducts of burning wood. How often should a chimney be cleaned to prevent a creosote chimney fire? There are many things you can do to prevent a chimney fire in your home. Fire of all, chimney fires are fueled by soot or creosote deposits in the chimney. A chimney cleaning runs between $125 and $250, depending on the type and condition of chimney. Sporkasia January 23, 2014 . It can line the chimney and flue over time, and under the proper conditions, it can ignite. My thinking is this would cool off the chimney allowing a huge inrush of cold air as well as significantly reduce the draft to the stove and cut the amount of air immensely. Moreover, it also prevents the smoke from the fireplace from reentering the chimney and into the house. Keep the Chimney Clean. Indications of a chimney fire have been described as creating: loud cracking and popping noise; a lot of dense smoke, and; an intense, hot smell Chimney fires can burn explosively – noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or people passing by. Obviously if there was a chimney fire with this it might be a bad idea to add more air to the situation. It promotes improved airflow and provides a great exhaust passage for gases. Unfortunately, conditioned air from the home continues to escape up the chimney to the outdoors while the fireplace is not in use. How Can You Prevent Chimney Fires? This air draft exhausts heat and smoke while you are using your fireplace. This fire safety feature also protects the structure of your chimney to avoid exhaust fumes and excessive heat. If you’re using it daily, like a wood stove for heating, multiple cleanings will be needed each year. Flames or dense smoke may shoot from the top of the chimney. That’s more than enough to warp a stovepipe, melt a rain cap and spark arrestor, and then launch burning coals and ash onto a rooftop. As a result, this causes a fire to break out inside your chimney. A chimney cap will not only prevent the chimney fire but will also keep any debris out. Chimney fires can be terrifying events, and take place when the creosote in a chimney ignites and spreads. MENTOR, Ohio — As you relax in front of your fireplace and enjoy the warmth it provides, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how clean your chimney is. Lake County News,California - Officials offer precautions to prevent chimney fires … • Burn “clean” fires. Have Your Chimney and Fireplace Cleaned and Inspected Annually. The biggest thing that you can do to prevent chimney fires is to have your chimney inspected by a professional every year and cleaned as needed. Chimneys naturally exhaust air in an upward movement from the fireplace to the outdoors. 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