WHAT’S A CHIMNEY FIRE LIKE? It’s no picnic.

Chances are it will only scare the daylights out of you. However, it can damage the house considerably if allowed to get out of control. A chimney fire burns so hot (sometimes in excess of 2,OOO°F), it can crack the flue tiles in a masonry chimney. With a prefabricated chimney, a chimney fire can cause the joints to separate or cause the pipe to warp. In either situation, the fire can then spread to other parts of the house. The brickwork itself can radiate enough heat to ignite paneling or surrounding woodwork.

The fire can melt mortar from the masonry chimney joints and send it flying into the air like a roman candle with red hot pieces falling on your roof and your neighbors’ roofs. Add to that the embarrassment of having three fire trucks parked in front of your house, and you begin to get the picture.

After a chimney fire, it’s very important to have a chimney professional clean and inspect the chimney. There could be a buildup of creosote that is blocking the flue. There could also be cracked or damaged flue tiles (in the masonry chimney), or warped or separated pipe (in the prefab chimney). This could create a dangerous, life-threatening condition.

If you have a second chimney fire in a damaged chimney like this, the cracks in the chimney can open up and creosote and flames can penetrate through the tiles or pipe. Add this to a chimney that has cracks, and you can end up with flames and creosote coming into contact with surrounding combustibles including roof joists, paneling, etc.

A prefab chimney clogged with SOOT caught fire.