We had a chimney fire in early April. I had one of these flares for 38 years and never needed it until that night, the price sticker was still on it $4.69. My wife had already called the fire department. I lit the flare and put it in the stove the fire went out within 30 seconds. The fire department arrived and were amazed we had one of these flares. They said they are the single best items wood stove users should have. The chimney guy came the following Wednesday cleaned our chimney also saying these flares work. I have two in stock in case I ever need it. The chimney guy said every few weeks to throw and aluminum can into the stove. The aluminum oxide will loosen the creosote on the chimney walls.
Thank you so much, really really appreciate this. You have no idea. Thank you!!!! You guys are helping me keep my family safe and I can actually sleep better at night. God bless you!! ❤😊❤
Per a chimney sweep business's website: "Many have claimed that burning aluminum cans is an effective technique to clean your chimney. Though there may have been cases where this method has worked slightly, nothing takes the place of actually cleaning out the chimney. In fire tests conducted on aluminum materials, it was found that when fire temperatures exceed the melting point (which occurs at a range of 600-660°C), aluminum surfaces that are exposed to the fire can melt, but do not burn. Heating the cans causes an increase in heat in a chimney which can help prevent creosote from building up on a clean chimney. However, aluminum oxides are very stable and do not react to high temperature. This means that there will not be much of an impact on built-up creosote. ....To help prevent creosote from building up in your fireplace, it is important to use efficient burning techniques. For example, burn small, hot fires using hardwood Our professionals at Brick + Ember Outfitters recommend that homeowners get their chimney system serviced at least once a year."
I was an instructor in the fire service, and I've had nothing but wood heat for the past 36 years. My fire districts guidelines for putting out a chimney fire is the rolled up wet newspaper method. A soaked towel can also work. The object is to turn water into steam as the steam will rob the heat and reduce the fire. An important thing to know is to never spray water directly onto or into the chimney as this will cool it too fast and can cause the morter holding the bricks together to crack allowing creosote to seep through and then the fire can extend into your attic and you'll have a very bad day.
@@stirlingmoss4621 He didn't say that,"will rob the heat" I just threw water on the fire in the stove and that stopped the chimney fire, I can see where the wet newspaper is better, ie. my way you might over do it,put out the stove fire without the needed steam up the chimney.
@@stirlingmoss4621 water expands to 1700 times it's volume and will displace air. Steam was used to inert things before nitrogen like distillation equipment in refineries so you didn't have explosions.
I have used one and it works, some years ago. I always have one next to the stove. Always! My neighbor called the fire department and they’re close by and they measured the chimney temperature at 65° at the rooftop and asked me what in the world that I had done that works so well, they were impressed. I was thankful.
I have actually had good results by tearing off the top of a box of baking soda and fling the contents into the fire and close it up tight. The fire gets extinguished or drastically reduced, and the heat rising up the chimney carries a portion of the soda up and reduces or extinguishes the fire there.
I thought it was all interesting. The video wasn't that long and the information was free. People want free information and people to take the time to give it but complain about how they do it. smh
Thank you, I had no clue this was possible. Ordered one today. If you are watching this for the first time the actual content starts at 7:25 , skip ahead. The rest is all loosely related Anecdotal viewing engagement stories.
That's because UK building regu;ations make us have better designed flues & only a state registered HEATAS engineer can work on a flue or solid fuel appliance. That Chimnex may be OK, I've not used one. As a retired UK firefighter, I've been to plenty of chimney fires over the years, but no one ever shot at the roof, even in a blizzard.
Longtime Firefighter, here. I absolutely agree that prevention is key, and there's a difference between inside a flue vs. outside the flue. Whenever you determine there is a chimney fire of any type, call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY to get help heading your way. Taking the cap off was a clever idea (though I certainly hope nobody was downrange of the cap when it was removed by shotgun fire! Firearm safety is always important!). When the fire is inside the flue, a baggie of dry chemical extinguishing agent can be dropped down from the top, but that's much easier said than done. I haven't seen Chimfex used before firsthand, but the stated principle is sound. However, if the fire is OUTSIDE the flue / inside a combustible chimney chase, you're facing a full-on structure fire. Evacuate.
I cleaned my entire chimney 4 weeks ago. We had a few unusually warm days recently so my fires were lower temperature. This morning, I noticed that the 2 logs I put on coals in the middle of the night, were only partially burned and the stove was full of dense smoke. I hit it with a torch and it lit nicely. Started frying up some eggs and we smelled burning plastic? Then saw thick smoke coming from seems in double wall pipe and it was a chimney fire. I immediately used an extinguisher in stove and sent some down from the top and flipped the cap over to starve air. Then shoveled out everything that was in the stove and spent the day cleaning. Point is, the pipe wasn’t very dirty to begin with, but igniting the smoke in the pipe caused an event. Next time I see a stove full of smoke, I will consider my options better.
We only had wood heat for 40 years until a PG&E caused forest fire in Paradise, Northern California burned every thing to a crisp and 88 people died! The guy at the place where I bought my first wood stove told me to get a rip roaring cedar fire every two weeks or so to clean the flue so there would be no flue fires but in the winter with a 8X12 pitch I wasn't going to use my flue brush that I used every year also. I had 4 chain saws and got firewood cutting permits from the forest service every year so we had plenty of firewood! I was teased a lot about how much wood I had but when the power went out like it did the first 25 years or so we kept warm and could heat water to bathe with and cooked on it too. We had 3 Aladdin lamps and were set even though things took a little longer. We were just camping in our cabin, one time for 8 days. I had a Toyota pick up with 12,50X33X15 on narrow wheels and could go down to 2 lbs. to get up our gravel hill and down the other side to get to work. I sure miss those days. I took of the pounds when I was splitting and splitting firewood but it was good honest work. I had a 266 Husqvarna Chain saw with a 28 inch bar and my other 3 saws so I could fell some good sized trees.
Oh man the Paradise fire was bad. I was in the Almeda fire here in southern Oregon. Burned out my dad a mile east, myself and my sister two miles west of me. FEMA told crippled old people to go get a job. Because they're not a welfare system. 😮 My entire family was denied insurance claims from separate companies. We all lost everything.
@daveneil3963, You forgot to mention the Directed Energy Weapon that was also used, with the cover story of PG&E also being blamed. The back feed of the not so smart meters also exploded the gas lines using the explosive coolants now being used in most newer coolers and freezers. The entire thing was exactly like Maui, and NJ, a massive land grab by the government.
My dad says Grandpa would start a chimney fire on purpose once in a while. It always seemed to me that if your chimney is installed right and if you don't have combustible roofing, burning the creasote out is just a practical maintenance procedure. Back when I lived in a doublewide trailer with a metal roof, I had a chimney fire. Kinda exciting.
My Dad did the same. He would say, go outside and let it burn out. I was never afraid but I remember my mom would get stressed. The house is still standing and we heated the house with the fireplace as our only heat source.
I burn wood to heat my house. I make sure to get up on the roof every month and I run a piece of #2 rebar 10ft long, and I pop the chimney cap off and run it up and down several times while there is a fire burning, and the heat carries all the soot up and out. When I go back inside the house you can hear the difference from before cleaning it. It sounds like the ol midnight special comming down the line! 😉
Here's the problem... if you put out the fire you have only solved the result and not the cause. Especially those who heat only with wood might not understand, though they should, that there will be another fire if they continue to use the chimney. This is a situation where prevention is paramount. Creosote forms when green (unseasoned) wood is burned and also when a slow fire is kept as in banking the fire for the night. Unless you have a poorly constructed chimney setup the best way to avoid buildup is to burn a hot or roaring fire whenever you kindle your stove or fireplace. This will burn off the excess creosote and prevent a larger chimney fire from starting. Usually fireplaces will burn hot enough that creosote will not form anyway due to poor draft control. It is these airtight stoves that are generally the most problematic due to incomplete combustion from lack of oxygen when closed up. This might be a good product for someone who neglects their chimney but I think it is far better to clean the entire chimney and pipes yearly and to burn hot fires regularly to keep buildup to a minimum for a safe wood heating solution. This method has worked for me these past sixty years that I've been heating with wood. Blessings
I agree. We have a newer install. The installer recommended have a small hot fire in the morning. So it is, wife gets the morning fire going on last nights coals. Runs a a cycle were it burns hot, house warm, rake the coals through the day, load it up, runs a cycle where it burns front to back, repeat. Remove ash/coals as required [garden use]. We have 2 45 degree elbows where upon cleaning found the most creosote build up. Installer stated the chimney is rated for a chimney fire. He stated one could toss a water soaked paper towel roll into the stove to extinguish. Not my words. Our wood is 2 years dry now. Expecting better chimney clean out next year. Friends dad had his chimney 80% blocked and back draft from unseasoned wood last year. Pulled over years ago upon seeing a chimney fire on an old farm house. Yelled into the house "FIRE" Looking for people eventually an old fella come up a forest trail. Fire Department was now onsite and he happened to be poaching and had 7 deer in the barn. Karma. Clean it each year. Peace of mind.
Not always the case with soot. I did not know about hedge and burned it so the fire got so hot the it cause a chimney fire. Got it put out and now know what hedge is so other then small pieces to start I do not use hedge. The same thing can happen by overloading wood in your fireplace or wood stove.
Thank you for your knowledge. Im burning for this year for my very first time, im cleaning the chimney tomorrow. I will make sure my first fire is hot.
Hey Northeasthobbyfarmer, obviously "prevention" is the best method to prevent chimney fires. Properly cleaning the fireplace and chimney as needed. Burning dry wood (preferably hardwood). And a handful of others. Here's a couple of scenarios that can be culprits of fires.... 1- People get complacent with their fireplace and don't do the things they need to for safety. 2- The people that are actually morons. The ones that know chimney fires happen but literally do nothing to ensure their safety when burning fires. Those people are out there more than you think.
@ .I appreciate your knowledge and wisdom in regards to fire prevention I have a small 1100 square-foot home with a fireplace in the living room I am about to clean my chimney next week what kind of things can I do to make sure that I am preventing a chimney fire? What fire resolutions can I have available to help prevent a fire once started? What are some fire prevailing measures I can take how do I keep a fire burning hot thank you in advance have a happy holidays
I found this video while looking for a way to make an anchor for my chimney that I'm redoing. It's an odd size so I can't find one manufactured. You didn't help with that problem but you did educate me quite a bit on what to do if the fire is out of control in my fireplace. Thank you so much for that.
Simple to put a chimney fire out, add 2 cups of water on the fire slowly not to put the fire in hearth out as you need that to create the steam to put fire out. The steam rises and puts the fire out in the chimney. The secret is don't add to much water. Wait few minutes minutes then add another cup of water slowly to make steam. This is the method fire brigade used attending my chimney fire. Allways keep small bucket of water and cup close to fire place for this reason is my insurance. It works purfectly this method was known by most people years ago when every home had a open fire.
This method worked for me about 30 years ago. I heard what sounded like sand raining down inside the long stovepipe and a couple of backpressure puffs of smoke came into the house. Half a cup of water on the hot coals, as to not damage the hot woodstove and closed the side door. Steam shot up the 24 ft stack and the fire was out 🙏. Scary few seconds for sure.
Our son had a chimney fire and the daughter-in- law called the fire dept. It was very scary for them. The fire dept told them the best way to put out a chimney fire is to through wet newspapers into the stove and the steam from the newspapers will put out the fire. They didn’t have anything to good to say about that gadget the two guys used 🤔
When we had a chimney fire in the 60's the firemen advised we kept a large washing up liquid bottle full of water near the fireplace (was open fire) and just squirt water up the chimney to put a chimney fire out.
We never sprayed water in a chimney that was on fire, we would drop a water balloon down and the steam would put the fire out. No damage to the chimney or house. Sometimes, we had to drop a second one in.
When I was a kid(8yrs)we rented a cottage in the summer, 2nd day there the night got cold so we lit the airtight(sort of)in the cottage. About an hour later we heard that scary train/tornado sound coming from the woodstove. Luckily I was tasked with watering the owners flower and vegetable gardens while we were there and he had a really decent jet pump set up on his cottage. So I just walked outside turned the hose on and adjusted the spray nozzle for fully tight strongest stream and it easily reached the top of the A frame peak where the chimney cap was and with hitting the side of the piping and a little bit down the pipe(not too much)I had extinguished the chimney fire before even anybody else came outside to see what they could do to stop it, they had closed the damper and dialed the stove airscrews down tight and everything was done. I was the local hero for the week and the owner was really nice to me for the rest of his life. He was a helluva a good guy and I really enjoyed talking with him everytime I would see him as I grew. He was very thankful that I was there at the time and even at such a young age, that I had a grasp of knowledge enough to take care of his cottage. It was scary though if that hose had not been there and his pump not strong enough, the cottage would fer sure have burned to the ground, all he had was older tin type piping up through the whole place and one 2ft section of insulated to run through the roofing joist. The flames and sparks coming out of the cap area of the piping were at least 10ft and bright in colour so it was damn hot and only had tar shingles all around the stack. I was just happy to help.
We have an outside the house chimney. Those chimneys have a tendency to creosote faster do to begin outside and cooler. We clean our chimney every two weeks marked on the calendar. Been burning wood for 50 years with good luck. We do keep two firesticks on hand.
I was walking around my older townhouse community about fifteen years ago and saw sparks coming out of the chimney of an end unit. The wind was blowing in just the right direction that the sparks were falling all along the roofline. I rang their bell and by the time they came out to see it, there were flames popping up out of the chimney and the sparks were starting to make some of the shingles smolder and smoke a bit. Luckily our townhouses were built in 1969 and these were solid ceramic core brick chimneys with concrete tops and steel caps, and our roofs had asbestos shingles.
I had a chimney fire once. I closed off the stove air and threw a water soaked and rolled up newspaper in it, so that was the end of it. I learned it from a UA-cam video I had watched years ago. Always make sure you keep up on your seals so you can effectively cut off the air and keep a rolled up newspaper handy. I brush the chimney every summer too.
Thank you for your knowledge and experience can you please tell me how to use the roll up newspaper I am about to clean my chimney and get ready to burn it for the winner thank you in advance
@blackbelt524 If you have a chimney fire, you throw a water soaked newspaper in the box to extinguish the fire. I'm sure a wet dish towel or old T-shirt will work too. The steam going up puts it out along with cutting off the air.
@@robjonas9047 I really appreciate that thank you i will have my 7 year old down for the holidays and will be burning my fire place the major of the time and I appreciate the safety tips happy holidays to you and the people you love.!
Except you didn't ask your neighbor. You chose to watch a video OFFERED by this channel which means you can take it for what it is or spend the time to do your own research and find the info your looking for. Probly take you more time than it took to watch this video though.
A well built chimney can burn out without risking a house fire. My mom would twist a newspaper torch and throw it in the bottom clean out door about once a year to burn it out. Needless to say it would have all the neighbors in a panic every time. It would shoot flames about 10 feet and soot would float down over the whole neighborhood.
@@dallasburgess5329 Believe me,I wouldn't advise anyone to try it. My mom acted like it was no big deal but it scared the hell out of me. It sounded like a train going through a tunnel.
My mother used put twisted newspaper up into the chimney and it would catch fire and burn the soot and then go out into the garden to see the flame shooting up thru the chimney. She never called out a chimney sweep.
@@1wheeldrive751 That depends on the wood. If you cut down dead standing trees they are almost seasoned as is. Also pine aka soft wood drys out faster then hard does. also cut and especially split wood drys out faster as well. I am still cleaning up from the storms in June 2023.
Been off grid for over 20 years with 3 buildings heated by big woodstoves. Had no idea of any of this stuff. Ha. We burn a hot fire everyso often and clean chimneys but ...the wet towel rolled up. The bakimg soda. The aluminum can and the flare!!! All new to me. Thx
Ordinary table salt will extinguish a fire almost immediately. Learned this from an old timer during a random conversation. A few weeks later, the snow in my yard was glowing from the flames shooting out of my chimney. I grabbed the container of table salt and luckily was able to get a ladder up in record time. I poured the salt down the chimney and the fire was out in seconds! Apparently, the sodium reacts with the oxygen and snuffed out the fire. Edit: I’m certain that the salt can be thrown right into the wood stove or fireplace with the same effect.
My dad said, always keep a bag of salt on hand in case of a chimney fire and use it like you stated. We had one handy when we had a chimney fire and it worked very well. Our fire sounded like popcorn popping (our liner was cracking.) My husband said the salt formed a hard crust across the opening of the chimney. The very moment that happened and the fire was snuffed, the rooms above the stove filled with smoke. We never used the brick chimney after that, and planned to replace it with a double walled outer chimney.
My father extinguished a chimney fire in the early 1970s by shooting his shotgun up the chimney. That is the advantage of having an open fire place. Then he went to the pub for a drink.
Modern stoves and furnaces are more efficient and send cooler smoke up the chimney which allows the build up of creosote. Long chimneys typically draft better to expel the particulates. Insulated double-lined stainless flue seems to be a great option on an exterior chimney. But the old standard is the clay flue brick chimney. The smoke heats up the mass of the chimney and provides heat long after the fire dies. I have an old house with an inefficient wood stove and a 30 foot long clay flue chimney. The chimney running through every story of the house stays warm and provides constant heat. I run an 8" square brush to clean it once year and get less than a gallon of soot-never creosote-just messy soot. Just clean your chimney once in a while and you are doing better than most and shouldn't have an issue. Oh yeah, I only burn hard wood and I wouldn't necessarily call it seasoned. ,
Had a chimney fire a few years ago, when my wood burning stove was roaring and set fire to the flue. Outside it looked like a volcano erupting with lots of smoke & flames. Managed to put it out by 1. dousing the fire in the stove using a garden sprayer & bottle of water, then 2. rammed a wet dust sheet into the throat of the stove, to cut off the air supply. It worked a treat but was pretty scary. After it all cooled down, I swept the chimney before relighting the stove.
I used the same technique, much to the surprise of the firemen. They couldn't believe I'd had a chimney fire until they saw my son's video. Break the fire triangle for success.
When I used to be a firefighter, we would use our water extinguishers to do that. Spray the coals, which steamed upwards up the chimney, and usually would put the fire out. The one warning I got(though I never saw it happen), was to be sparing with the water. The quick change in temperature could end up cracking the liner
@@OldMotorcycleAdventures Exactly! Retired Firefighter here too. We used to just throw a large cup of water at the base of the fire...no more for the reason you pointed out....the steam would put it out. Unless there was already extension by the time we got there, this always worked.
I have used a garden hose straight up the flue with great success, but a dry powder fire extinguisher is probably better. The big problem with a chimney fire is cracks in the chimney allowing the fire to get into your attic or walls. These cracks are often formed by a previous chimney fire that expanded the bricks or structure of the chimney and when it cooled down it left gaps. You would think bricks are fire proof and they are for the most part but they will expand when heated and a long section will expand enough to cause problems.
I have a fireplace and was using it many years ago. Had a chimney fire, called the fire department and they told me to wet a bunch of paper towels and throw on the fire 🔥. This worked very quickly and put out the fire. It made a lot of steam and the fire went out.
Depending on your woodburning setup, burning a hot fire once a day will keep the creosote in check. Back in the day, we had a straight vertical metalbestos flue on a cast iron Morso wood stove in our log home in Maine. Every morning in winter, when building the fire back up from coals, we would burn a bunch of kindling wood really fast for 20-30 minutes before adding the cordwood. Being a woodworker, my Dad always had a ton of extra kiln dried wood scraps laying around to burn. What you are doing is having a miniature chimney fire every day. With only one day’s worth of creosote it isn’t dramatic, but the creosote burns off so it won’t build up to dangerous levels. Still need to inspect at least monthly, and run a brush through it a few times a season.
Chimney fires are serious. I once watched a chimney fire burn a house to the ground. It was in a very rural area away from any good water supply. Volunteer Fire Department was on scene quickly, but they lacked enough water to knock the fire down completely. They had a large pool that was filled by a pumper truck that had to run several miles to the lake to get water. Before they got back, they had drained the pool and the fire quickly built back up. This happened several times and the fire finally took the house down. The lesson here is make sure your chimney is clean. Also helps to have lots of non-combustible material around the chimney, perhaps double or triple what code requires.
I had bought a 25 year old house where the previous ower said the chimney was cleaned about a year before and i should think about getting it clean The house i had been living at for 5 years and never cleaned the chimney which was the first house i had with a fire place My first fire in the new to me house i went outside to see if sparks were going into a near by tree and couldn’t believe what i seen the chimney looked like a butane cigarette lighter huge blue flame lucky for me i had a fire extinguisher near by let it go into the fire box then pointed up the chimney and finished it off Climbed onto the room and could not see down the chimney due to so much creosol from the previous owners burning chip board and other crappy fire wood We were lucky the house didnt burn down
Salt kills a fire too. Pour salt down the chimney. Coarse salt is what my husband used. Worked. The Chimfex Oxygen deprivation method seems safer to use. I’ll get one of these. Thanks for the info.🕊️
I am quite sure that shooting off the cap was unrelated to the fire stopping... think how long that took, it was probably just that the chimney fire simply burned itself out because it used up all the fuel in the chimney
to Health and Home, we had a chimney fire back around '59 which was build up of creoste or soot, Dad used salt at the base of the chimney it did kill the fire. That was before these fire logs
I had one in a fireplace what I did was I found some sheet metal I had perfect to cover the fireplace opening cut the oxygen put it out. I put some 8x8 concrete blocks to hold it it was hot and we called the fire department by the time they got up there looked at it was out. I had a guy come out clean it he said the fire burned most of it away. My fireplace has a very thick liner in it so he said likely would not have burned my house down unless something fell on the roof. Now I have it cleaned once a year well worth $220.
@@ThePROFESS10NAL I got a kit for 22 dollars, combo dryer vent and wood stove pipe cleaner. However, you do want to burn one of those creosote drying logs before using it, to get it dryer and more flaky, so that it comes off easier. If it is gooey and sticky, the brush systems will not work well.
I have a way to put out a wood stove chimney fire I used in Alaska for 22 years. Drill a 3/4" hole in the black pipe above the damper and cover the hole with aluminum tape. When you hear a chimney fire (yes they sound like a jet plane) close the air inlet to the stove, then rip the tape off and use your fire extinguisher (must have a 3/4 or smaller nozzle on the end). Fire will be out in less than a minute. Really bad fires take longer. I have put out three chimney fires this way
Wow thanks so much. I just had a weird situation happen with my wood stove. It was like a propane stove leaking gas and then it was literally. A whoosh. I could have lost my eye brows. I shut the flute to limit oxygen. Tomorrow I will sweep the chimney myself and order one of those gadgets you demonstrated in your video. This house I am in is a rebuild from the exact situation.
Had a chimney fire 30 years ago. Had it out before the fire Dept arrived by shooting water down from the top via a hose- which destroyed the inside pipe and resulted in having a new chimney built. Fire Depth said: WRONG. They said to shoot the water into the cleanout of the chimney which would via steam rising would’ve put out the fire AND have saved the chimney. OK - next time
Throw a cup or two of water in fireplace or stove and close it up. Creates steam and snuffs fire. When we show up for chimney fire we do this plus we have bags of dry chem from your fire extinguishers. A wet bath towel can work or wet paper. Simple
Even better is to soak a towel in a high concentration of water + baking soda solution. As the baking soda heats up it releases carbon dioxide which helps to replace oxygen.
Thank you so much for showing an actual fireplace chimney on the roof. Mine is burnt looking like the one you showed, so I guess it's normal. I couldn't sleep many days worried, but we need heat at night. I'm much more comfortable now. Thank you so so much! ❤😊
One of my buddies came home for lunch one day and the pot bellied stove, which had been stoked by his wife a few minutes before, began to make strange pulsing noise. He quickly identified it as a flu fire and threw a half gallon on CoolAid into the stove. The resulting explosion blew steam and fly ash all over his den and kitchen. It put the flu fire out but the clean up took an entire day.
During heating season, I clean my chimney every 2.5 months, whether it needs it or not. In 15 years I’ve lost 2 neighbours to chimney fires and have seen many a home burn down due to them.
Best flue fire prevention is to burn your stove hot. When I started burning wood 20 years ago I was keeping the fire damped down so it would burn longer. You wouldnt believe the amount of creosote i swept out of that chimney the following year. I like to burn my stove at around 450 degrees. I actually skipped sweeping my chimney last year, and after two years of burning hot fires i had a miniscule amount of creosote in my flue.
Yup, a smoldering fire creates a lot of shit in the pipe. I burn a super hot fire every morning. I tap the pipe afterwards and let the shit fall down, then rake the stuff off the plate in the stove.
As a child we would put salt on our coal fire should a fire start in the chimney. The salt would turn to iodine removing the air in the chimney. Worked every time.
I'll definitely be buying one of these products to keep in my home. I bought my own chimney brush set to keep things clean in between professional cleanings. DO the homework. Everyone should have one of these too.
Have your chimney top three feet over the peak of the house and clean it once or twice a year. Get your lazy ass up on the roof and run a brush down and then up….thats all it takes….. a total of 15 minutes which included climbing up and down off the roof. Burn dry wood and about once a week burn it hot for several hours…..that been my routine for 43 years.
I had a chimney fire. I closed all the dampers, etc but there must still have been enough air leakage so it kept on burning. I ran to the top of my house, up the short ladder that was always against the chimney, put on the gloves, lifted the conical top off. Flames were down below, not up there where I was. I flipped the top over and set in on top of the chimney. This sealed it well and stopped almost all the airflow, and the chimney fire went out.
So you said you flipped the top over and set on top of the chimney"? Wow. Didn't that burn your asss or were you able to just hover over the chimney top until the fire went out? Amazing story.
My understanding, if the doors to a wood stove are closed down, it does not stop a chimney fire because the chimney fire will suck air down the chimney when there is no air rising up the stack to keep it going. This just makes the top of the chimney hotter and hotter in one section, and the molten chimney pipe will evaporate and the fire move into your roof structure. The traditional way to stop a chimney fire is to get your fire extinguisher ready to squeeze the lever and blow the ABC. THEN you open the doors to the stove wide open, aim the extinguisher at the open fire box, and the hot chimney fire will do the rest of the work. It sucks the ABC through the fire box and up the chimney, where it extinguishes the chimney fire. It worked for me years ago. Cleaning up is another not so simple story, especially after the chimney sweeps come and drop all the remaining chunks of blackened creosote down the pipe into the fire box. I don't know if the method I just described would work on a fireplace, but it is always a good idea to have fire extinguishers around if you have a lot of fires during the winter, or even just a few. I would still like to have a couple of those Chimfex handy. Thanks for the tip.
Throw ice in the fire not alott enough to make it steam wet vapor puts out fire just start with a few cubes add as needed done this a few times at friends house after 2 nd time he had chimney cleaned
Wood stove size can have something to do with it also. If your stove is too big for your room/house, you will tend to burn it "colder" to avoid having it too hot in your room/house. This will increase creosote buildup in your chimney. Better to get a smaller stove and burn it hot than have a stove that is too big and burn it cold.
Not me, I have a huge old Kodiak that holds a lot of wood, I fill it up and it burns for a long time. I have a chimney brush that I use every month or two. That fire putter outer is a must have. I think 99% of people, including myself, have had chimney 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
When the stack has a fire develop it doesn’t take long at all for it to start glowing red. I’m talking about single wall pipe. My house has about 16’ of single wall before it connects to the insulated chimney. I’ve had to put out a few chimney fires in the past 46 years. I throw about a pint of water on the fire and the steam rises and puts out the fire. So far this has worked every time. BUT, & that’s a big but I keep one of the fire putter outers right next to the wood stove for the time the steam trick doesn’t work. Have checked the metal bestos chimney after a very hot fire and I could put my hands on the chimney and it was barely warm.
For a wood stove, close the dampers to cut the air off. Take a plastic or styrofoam cup, larger the better. Slowly open the stove door as it will backdraft. Throw the entire cup of water in and close the stove door. The dense burst of steam up the chimney will immediately snuff out the fire. Those flairs will prob work fine. They are the same thing as the Element fire extinguisher they sell to strap to the roll cage of offroad vehicles. Basically just expel a bunch of carbon dioxide. If you want something just in case of a chimney fire just get an actual CO2 fire extinguisher so it can be used for more than just one situation.
I did the water thing for the one time we had a chimney fire and it worked fine, but twisted the firebox on the antique wood stove...small price to pay.😅
i was thinking the same. Why not just get a CO2 fire extinguisher? Like honestly, everyone should have one of those in their house anyway, especially if you have a fire or wood burner. Chimney fires aren't the only way a fireplace can get out of control. If you regularly have things burning in your house, even if it's just candles, you should have at least one fire extinguisher. it's a simple and versatile solution to many potentially disastrous problems
you can also take a large towel or heavy blanket and soak it with water and hang it over the fireplace getting it as tight as possible over the fireplace. use whatever is available to keep it there to keep air from getting into the chimney. I've done the same on the stove when something caught on fire, took the dish towel and held it under the faucet, it shouldn't be totally soaked if it's an oil fire, just damp. it put the fire right out.
Ive been told to keep gal jug of water near the stove so all you do is throw the jug with lid on in stove so it doesnt pop til door is closed anyway Throw it in shut the door and shut down the stove jug will pop and steam will put out the fire yes theres gonna be a mess in stove that will be needed to be cleaned out but home is saved
Heard a story once about a 12 gauge used to sweep the chimney by firing it up the pipe… so happened to be there was a little concrete inspection door wallpapered over just beside the bed in the master bedroom. It blew out and guaranteed a dark night’s sleep. 😂
A freestanding wood stove with metal pipe thats burning inside and flames out the top, do not try and cut off the air supply at the stove. What will happen is the flames will pull a vacuum so hard the pipe joints will come apart and the fire will fall out all over the stove and you. Be sure to install a bunch of pipe joint screws at each joint.
I've heard if you burn spruce regularly it keeps the chimney clean. I assume the sparks it gives off stick to the soot or whatever gunk you have there and burn it off in a "controlled" manner.
I heard that throwing a box of baking soda (Arm & Hammer) into a firebox generating a chimney fire will stop the flames dead in their tracks due to the concentrated release of CO2 present in the baking soda that is released when it contacts the flames. So I always keep a box or two next to all my wood burning stoves just in case....
You can also add ice onto your grill to stop grease fires when grilling and use tongs or spatula to remove ice if it looks like there's too much ice on grill
On an open coal chimney fire we would throw a packet of table salt on the fire. Then close the opening by holding a very wet towel over it. Did it work? I was too young to remember.
When i stopped using ny masonry chimney because the flew tile was cracked i went to a insulated double wall stainless steel pipe. Where it enters my basement i have enough room to clean the chimney from the saftey of my basement. I clean my chimney atleast every 2 weeks in the winter. The cleaner the better
Had a chimney fire. Very scary. Threw water on the fire and all the smoke evidently snuffed out the fire in the chimney. Worked immediately. Fire department came and checked everything. Fast forward, use gas fireplace now.
I just keep a gallon of spray water around the fireplace. Cause you never know when its going to happen. But by having water by the fireplace, can put it out fast if you need to or to help kill down the fire if it gets to hot. I also keep a drain water hose near the chimney. I just connect the hose to it
There should be a smoke damper in the chimney. Just close the smoke damper and voila, chimney fire eats the oxygen from the chimney and the chimney the fire goes out. Smoke damper also prevents the cold air creeping in when it is cold outside. I live in Finland and I guarantee, every chimney here has a smoke damper.
Great advice but if you close the damper on a live fireplace , your house will rapidly fill with smoke no? Smoke is what does the damage and costs thousands to clean up and remove.
@@jspee1965 No need to TOTALLY close the damper. By closing it enough to stop extra air to pass the fireplace stops the chimney fire from getting oxygen and it extinguishes.
If you have to use this device. Still call the fire department 🚒You want to be sure the fire is actually out and doesn’t build back up! They will come out and use thermal imaging cameras to make sure she’s out! 🔥🚒🚒
We had a chimney fire in early April. I had one of these flares for 38 years and never needed it until that night, the price sticker was still on it $4.69. My wife had already called the fire department. I lit the flare and put it in the stove the fire went out within 30 seconds. The fire department arrived and were amazed we had one of these flares. They said they are the single best items wood stove users should have. The chimney guy came the following Wednesday cleaned our chimney also saying these flares work. I have two in stock in case I ever need it. The chimney guy said every few weeks to throw and aluminum can into the stove. The aluminum oxide will loosen the creosote on the chimney walls.
Good to know about the aluminum can trick
Thanks 🙏
Will try it this winter
Thank you so much, really really appreciate this. You have no idea. Thank you!!!! You guys are helping me keep my family safe and I can actually sleep better at night. God bless you!! ❤😊❤
Per a chimney sweep business's website: "Many have claimed that burning aluminum cans is an effective technique to clean your chimney. Though there may have been cases where this method has worked slightly, nothing takes the place of actually cleaning out the chimney.
In fire tests conducted on aluminum materials, it was found that when fire temperatures exceed the melting point (which occurs at a range of 600-660°C), aluminum surfaces that are exposed to the fire can melt, but do not burn. Heating the cans causes an increase in heat in a chimney which can help prevent creosote from building up on a clean chimney. However, aluminum oxides are very stable and do not react to high temperature. This means that there will not be much of an impact on built-up creosote.
....To help prevent creosote from building up in your fireplace, it is important to use efficient burning techniques. For example, burn small, hot fires using hardwood
Our professionals at Brick + Ember Outfitters recommend that homeowners get their chimney system serviced at least once a year."
Great tip with the aluminum can
@@dryerventcleans His tip is false. Aluminum cans do NOT loosen the creosote. See my comment above.
I was an instructor in the fire service, and I've had nothing but wood heat for the past 36 years. My fire districts guidelines for putting out a chimney fire is the rolled up wet newspaper method. A soaked towel can also work. The object is to turn water into steam as the steam will rob the heat and reduce the fire. An important thing to know is to never spray water directly onto or into the chimney as this will cool it too fast and can cause the morter holding the bricks together to crack allowing creosote to seep through and then the fire can extend into your attic and you'll have a very bad day.
the water vapour from the wet paper or cloth placed on the fire in the grate will rob the fire in the chimney of oxygen. And you're an instructor..?
@@stirlingmoss4621 He didn't say that,"will rob the heat" I just threw water on the fire in the stove and that stopped the chimney fire, I can see where the wet newspaper is better, ie. my way you might over do it,put out the stove fire without the needed steam up the chimney.
Fire department told me to wet a bunch of paper towels and throw into the fireplace and this worked almost instantly. Thank you for your comment 😊
@@stirlingmoss4621
He said it will rob heat, rather than "rob oxygen..."
@@stirlingmoss4621 water expands to 1700 times it's volume and will displace air. Steam was used to inert things before nitrogen like distillation equipment in refineries so you didn't have explosions.
I have used one and it works, some years ago. I always have one next to the stove. Always! My neighbor called the fire department and they’re close by and they measured the chimney temperature at 65° at the rooftop and asked me what in the world that I had done that works so well, they were impressed. I was thankful.
I have actually had good results by tearing off the top of a box of baking soda and fling the contents into the fire and close it up tight. The fire gets extinguished or drastically reduced, and the heat rising up the chimney carries a portion of the soda up and reduces or extinguishes the fire there.
This also works because heating baking soda releases carbon dioxide, essentially suffocating the fire from oxygen
Baking soda is used in the bigger fire extinguishers, excellent thought
10minute video to explain a 22second process? My house is in 🔥 waiting for you guys to get to the point.
😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍
HA HA HA HA yea exactly what i thought, Proper Rambling rose.
I thought it was all interesting. The video wasn't that long and the information was free. People want free information and people to take the time to give it but complain about how they do it. smh
@@dianabaskin1944 then you complain about them
i wish it was longer 🤣@@raccoondon488
Actual content of video begins at 6:30
Thanks for sparing me from the mundane cheeter chatter 👍
They don’t even light the dang thing. What a waste of time.
Dang after 6 mins I went to the comments and by 6:37 I seen this💀🤣🤣 not a bad video tho
I saw the video was over 10 minutes long so I immediately went to the comments. Thank you for saving me several minutes!
Yeah, that would have been useful to know.
Thank you, I had no clue this was possible. Ordered one today. If you are watching this for the first time the actual content starts at 7:25 , skip ahead. The rest is all loosely related Anecdotal viewing engagement stories.
You’re awesome! Thank you
Saved several minutes of jabbering. Thanks!
Mentioned price $25 in video. Link given takes to Amazon $35.99 for one. Did you pay that price?
@@cyndib3587 I would happily pay $50 for this.
Thanks
This is brilliant - our stove installer and chimney sweep guy for 4 years never told us about this. Many thanks from the UK!
That's because UK building regu;ations make us have better designed flues & only a state registered HEATAS engineer can work on a flue or solid fuel appliance. That Chimnex may be OK, I've not used one. As a retired UK firefighter, I've been to plenty of chimney fires over the years, but no one ever shot at the roof, even in a blizzard.
never told you because they don't work!!!
Longtime Firefighter, here. I absolutely agree that prevention is key, and there's a difference between inside a flue vs. outside the flue. Whenever you determine there is a chimney fire of any type, call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY to get help heading your way.
Taking the cap off was a clever idea (though I certainly hope nobody was downrange of the cap when it was removed by shotgun fire! Firearm safety is always important!). When the fire is inside the flue, a baggie of dry chemical extinguishing agent can be dropped down from the top, but that's much easier said than done. I haven't seen Chimfex used before firsthand, but the stated principle is sound.
However, if the fire is OUTSIDE the flue / inside a combustible chimney chase, you're facing a full-on structure fire. Evacuate.
This is why having your chimney liner periodically INSPECTED FOR CRACKS is important.
@eatwhatukiii2532 Right on! Maintenance is SO important!
I cleaned my entire chimney 4 weeks ago. We had a few unusually warm days recently so my fires were lower temperature. This morning, I noticed that the 2 logs I put on coals in the middle of the night, were only partially burned and the stove was full of dense smoke. I hit it with a torch and it lit nicely. Started frying up some eggs and we smelled burning plastic? Then saw thick smoke coming from seems in double wall pipe and it was a chimney fire. I immediately used an extinguisher in stove and sent some down from the top and flipped the cap over to starve air. Then shoveled out everything that was in the stove and spent the day cleaning. Point is, the pipe wasn’t very dirty to begin with, but igniting the smoke in the pipe caused an event. Next time I see a stove full of smoke, I will consider my options better.
We only had wood heat for 40 years until a PG&E caused forest fire in Paradise, Northern California burned every thing to a crisp and 88 people died! The guy at the place where I bought my first wood stove told me to get a rip roaring cedar fire every two weeks or so to clean the flue so there would be no flue fires but in the winter with a 8X12 pitch I wasn't going to use my flue brush that I used every year also. I had 4 chain saws and got firewood cutting permits from the forest service every year so we had plenty of firewood! I was teased a lot about how much wood I had but when the power went out like it did the first 25 years or so we kept warm and could heat water to bathe with and cooked on it too. We had 3 Aladdin lamps and were set even though things took a little longer. We were just camping in our cabin, one time for 8 days. I had a Toyota pick up with 12,50X33X15 on narrow wheels and could go down to 2 lbs. to get up our gravel hill and down the other side to get to work. I sure miss those days. I took of the pounds when I was splitting and splitting firewood but it was good honest work. I had a 266 Husqvarna Chain saw with a 28 inch bar and my other 3 saws so I could fell some good sized trees.
Oh man the Paradise fire was bad. I was in the Almeda fire here in southern Oregon. Burned out my dad a mile east, myself and my sister two miles west of me. FEMA told crippled old people to go get a job. Because they're not a welfare system. 😮 My entire family was denied insurance claims from separate companies. We all lost everything.
I'm so sorry
What is this, boring story day?
@salazam No one is forcing you to read any of this.
Rude!!!
@daveneil3963, You forgot to mention the Directed Energy Weapon that was also used, with the cover story of PG&E also being blamed. The back feed of the not so smart meters also exploded the gas lines using the explosive coolants now being used in most newer coolers and freezers. The entire thing was exactly like Maui, and NJ, a massive land grab by the government.
My dad says Grandpa would start a chimney fire on purpose once in a while. It always seemed to me that if your chimney is installed right and if you don't have combustible roofing, burning the creasote out is just a practical maintenance procedure.
Back when I lived in a doublewide trailer with a metal roof, I had a chimney fire. Kinda exciting.
My Dad did the same. He would say, go outside and let it burn out. I was never afraid but I remember my mom would get stressed. The house is still standing and we heated the house with the fireplace as our only heat source.
I burn wood to heat my house. I make sure to get up on the roof every month and I run a piece of #2 rebar 10ft long, and I pop the chimney cap off and run it up and down several times while there is a fire burning, and the heat carries all the soot up and out. When I go back inside the house you can hear the difference from before cleaning it. It sounds like the ol midnight special comming down the line! 😉
Here's the problem... if you put out the fire you have only solved the result and not the cause. Especially those who heat only with wood might not understand, though they should, that there will be another fire if they continue to use the chimney. This is a situation where prevention is paramount. Creosote forms when green (unseasoned) wood is burned and also when a slow fire is kept as in banking the fire for the night. Unless you have a poorly constructed chimney setup the best way to avoid buildup is to burn a hot or roaring fire whenever you kindle your stove or fireplace. This will burn off the excess creosote and prevent a larger chimney fire from starting. Usually fireplaces will burn hot enough that creosote will not form anyway due to poor draft control. It is these airtight stoves that are generally the most problematic due to incomplete combustion from lack of oxygen when closed up. This might be a good product for someone who neglects their chimney but I think it is far better to clean the entire chimney and pipes yearly and to burn hot fires regularly to keep buildup to a minimum for a safe wood heating solution. This method has worked for me these past sixty years that I've been heating with wood. Blessings
I agree. We have a newer install. The installer recommended have a small hot fire in the morning. So it is, wife gets the morning fire going on last nights coals. Runs a a cycle were it burns hot, house warm, rake the coals through the day, load it up, runs a cycle where it burns front to back, repeat. Remove ash/coals as required [garden use]. We have 2 45 degree elbows where upon cleaning found the most creosote build up. Installer stated the chimney is rated for a chimney fire. He stated one could toss a water soaked paper towel roll into the stove to extinguish. Not my words. Our wood is 2 years dry now. Expecting better chimney clean out next year. Friends dad had his chimney 80% blocked and back draft from unseasoned wood last year. Pulled over years ago upon seeing a chimney fire on an old farm house. Yelled into the house "FIRE" Looking for people eventually an old fella come up a forest trail. Fire Department was now onsite and he happened to be poaching and had 7 deer in the barn.
Karma. Clean it each year. Peace of mind.
Not always the case with soot. I did not know about hedge and burned it so the fire got so hot the it cause a chimney fire. Got it put out and now know what hedge is so other then small pieces to start I do not use hedge. The same thing can happen by overloading wood in your fireplace or wood stove.
Thank you for your knowledge. Im burning for this year for my very first time, im cleaning the chimney tomorrow. I will make sure my first fire is hot.
Hey Northeasthobbyfarmer, obviously "prevention" is the best method to prevent chimney fires.
Properly cleaning the fireplace and chimney as needed. Burning dry wood (preferably hardwood). And a handful of others.
Here's a couple of scenarios that can be culprits of fires....
1- People get complacent with their fireplace and don't do the things they need to for safety.
2- The people that are actually morons. The ones that know chimney fires happen but literally do nothing to ensure their safety when burning fires. Those people are out there more than you think.
@
.I appreciate your knowledge and wisdom in regards to fire prevention I have a small 1100 square-foot home with a fireplace in the living room I am about to clean my chimney next week what kind of things can I do to make sure that I am preventing a chimney fire? What fire resolutions can I have available to help prevent a fire once started? What are some fire prevailing measures I can take how do I keep a fire burning hot thank you in advance have a happy holidays
I found this video while looking for a way to make an anchor for my chimney that I'm redoing. It's an odd size so I can't find one manufactured. You didn't help with that problem but you did educate me quite a bit on what to do if the fire is out of control in my fireplace. Thank you so much for that.
Simple to put a chimney fire out, add 2 cups of water on the fire slowly not to put the fire in hearth out as you need that to create the steam to put fire out. The steam rises and puts the fire out in the chimney. The secret is don't add to much water. Wait few minutes minutes then add another cup of water slowly to make steam. This is the method fire brigade used attending my chimney fire. Allways keep small bucket of water and cup close to fire place for this reason is my insurance. It works purfectly this method was known by most people years ago when every home had a open fire.
This method worked for me about 30 years ago. I heard what sounded like sand raining down inside the long stovepipe and a couple of backpressure puffs of smoke came into the house. Half a cup of water on the hot coals, as to not damage the hot woodstove and closed the side door. Steam shot up the 24 ft stack and the fire was out 🙏. Scary few seconds for sure.
Our son had a chimney fire and the daughter-in- law called the fire dept. It was very scary for them. The fire dept told them the best way to put out a chimney fire is to through wet newspapers into the stove and the steam from the newspapers will put out the fire. They didn’t have anything to good to say about that gadget the two guys used 🤔
Spray bottle with hand pump is excellent way. Or a pressurised sprayer water only.
When we had a chimney fire in the 60's the firemen advised we kept a large washing up liquid bottle full of water near the fireplace (was open fire) and just squirt water up the chimney to put a chimney fire out.
We never sprayed water in a chimney that was on fire, we would drop a water balloon down and the steam would put the fire out. No damage to the chimney or house. Sometimes, we had to drop a second one in.
When I was a kid(8yrs)we rented a cottage in the summer, 2nd day there the night got cold so we lit the airtight(sort of)in the cottage. About an hour later we heard that scary train/tornado sound coming from the woodstove. Luckily I was tasked with watering the owners flower and vegetable gardens while we were there and he had a really decent jet pump set up on his cottage. So I just walked outside turned the hose on and adjusted the spray nozzle for fully tight strongest stream and it easily reached the top of the A frame peak where the chimney cap was and with hitting the side of the piping and a little bit down the pipe(not too much)I had extinguished the chimney fire before even anybody else came outside to see what they could do to stop it, they had closed the damper and dialed the stove airscrews down tight and everything was done. I was the local hero for the week and the owner was really nice to me for the rest of his life. He was a helluva a good guy and I really enjoyed talking with him everytime I would see him as I grew. He was very thankful that I was there at the time and even at such a young age, that I had a grasp of knowledge enough to take care of his cottage. It was scary though if that hose had not been there and his pump not strong enough, the cottage would fer sure have burned to the ground, all he had was older tin type piping up through the whole place and one 2ft section of insulated to run through the roofing joist. The flames and sparks coming out of the cap area of the piping were at least 10ft and bright in colour so it was damn hot and only had tar shingles all around the stack. I was just happy to help.
We have an outside the house chimney. Those chimneys have a tendency to creosote faster do to begin outside and cooler. We clean our chimney every two weeks marked on the calendar. Been burning wood for 50 years with good luck. We do keep two firesticks on hand.
Well said, not every two years !
I was walking around my older townhouse community about fifteen years ago and saw sparks coming out of the chimney of an end unit. The wind was blowing in just the right direction that the sparks were falling all along the roofline. I rang their bell and by the time they came out to see it, there were flames popping up out of the chimney and the sparks were starting to make some of the shingles smolder and smoke a bit. Luckily our townhouses were built in 1969 and these were solid ceramic core brick chimneys with concrete tops and steel caps, and our roofs had asbestos shingles.
I had a chimney fire once. I closed off the stove air and threw a water soaked and rolled up newspaper in it, so that was the end of it. I learned it from a UA-cam video I had watched years ago. Always make sure you keep up on your seals so you can effectively cut off the air and keep a rolled up newspaper handy. I brush the chimney every summer too.
Thank you for your knowledge and experience can you please tell me how to use the roll up newspaper I am about to clean my chimney and get ready to burn it for the winner thank you in advance
@blackbelt524 If you have a chimney fire, you throw a water soaked newspaper in the box to extinguish the fire. I'm sure a wet dish towel or old T-shirt will work too. The steam going up puts it out along with cutting off the air.
@@robjonas9047
I really appreciate that thank you i will have my 7 year old down for the holidays and will be burning my fire place the major of the time and I appreciate the safety tips happy holidays to you and the people you love.!
I feel like i just asked my neighbor a simple question and he jabbered on for 30 minutes before answering while i contemplated jumping out the window.
Except you didn't ask your neighbor. You chose to watch a video OFFERED by this channel which means you can take it for what it is or spend the time to do your own research and find the info your looking for. Probly take you more time than it took to watch this video though.
😅😅😅
I think it is pretty funny. @@JK-mr8wv
With a religious avatar even.
A story that includes the obligatory random discharge of a fire arm. That sounds about right.
A well built chimney can burn out without risking a house fire. My mom would twist a newspaper torch and throw it in the bottom clean out door about once a year to burn it out. Needless to say it would have all the neighbors in a panic every time. It would shoot flames about 10 feet and soot would float down over the whole neighborhood.
Love it...
@@dallasburgess5329 Believe me,I wouldn't advise anyone to try it. My mom acted like it was no big deal but it scared the hell out of me. It sounded like a train going through a tunnel.
My mother used put twisted newspaper up into the chimney and it would catch fire and burn the soot and then go out into the garden to see the flame shooting up thru the chimney. She never called out a chimney sweep.
@arkeo5467 we had a slate roof.,no poof.
Another big mistake folks make is to burn wet wood. The cooler burning temps leads to more creosote production from incomplete combustion.
Great point
That's exactly what happend to me. f
That is why it is so important to only burn seasoned wood.
@@brianperry4815- “seasoned” wood takes more than one summer to dry out. Get 2 years worth of wood seasoning and replace 1/2 after every winter.
@@1wheeldrive751 That depends on the wood. If you cut down dead standing trees they are almost seasoned as is. Also pine aka soft wood drys out faster then hard does. also cut and especially split wood drys out faster as well.
I am still cleaning up from the storms in June 2023.
Been off grid for over 20 years with 3 buildings heated by big woodstoves. Had no idea of any of this stuff. Ha. We burn a hot fire everyso often and clean chimneys but ...the wet towel rolled up. The bakimg soda. The aluminum can and the flare!!! All new to me. Thx
Ordinary table salt will extinguish a fire almost immediately. Learned this from an old timer during a random conversation. A few weeks later, the snow in my yard was glowing from the flames shooting out of my chimney.
I grabbed the container of table salt and luckily was able to get a ladder up in record time. I poured the salt down the chimney and the fire was out in seconds! Apparently, the sodium reacts with the oxygen and snuffed out the fire.
Edit: I’m certain that the salt can be thrown right into the wood stove or fireplace with the same effect.
My dad said, always keep a bag of salt on hand in case of a chimney fire and use it like you stated.
We had one handy when we had a chimney fire and it worked very well. Our fire sounded like popcorn popping (our liner was cracking.)
My husband said the salt formed a hard crust across the opening of the chimney. The very moment that happened and the fire was snuffed, the rooms above the stove filled with smoke.
We never used the brick chimney after that, and planned to replace it with a double walled outer chimney.
Holy crap! He shot a fire to death?! Dudes an actual firefighter.
😂
Nah hes just a classic American
My father extinguished a chimney fire in the early 1970s by shooting his shotgun up the chimney. That is the advantage of having an open fire place. Then he went to the pub for a drink.
You're full of shit if you expect someone to believe that. If it would work how could he get a gun threw the flames to fire it off?
My father did that.
2 pigeons came tumbling down onto the hearth.
@@robertkustos2931 so you didn't go hungry that evening.
Modern stoves and furnaces are more efficient and send cooler smoke up the chimney which allows the build up of creosote. Long chimneys typically draft better to expel the particulates. Insulated double-lined stainless flue seems to be a great option on an exterior chimney. But the old standard is the clay flue brick chimney. The smoke heats up the mass of the chimney and provides heat long after the fire dies. I have an old house with an inefficient wood stove and a 30 foot long clay flue chimney. The chimney running through every story of the house stays warm and provides constant heat. I run an 8" square brush to clean it once year and get less than a gallon of soot-never creosote-just messy soot. Just clean your chimney once in a while and you are doing better than most and shouldn't have an issue. Oh yeah, I only burn hard wood and I wouldn't necessarily call it seasoned.
,
Had a chimney fire a few years ago, when my wood burning stove was roaring and set fire to the flue. Outside it looked like a volcano erupting with lots of smoke & flames. Managed to put it out by 1. dousing the fire in the stove using a garden sprayer & bottle of water, then 2. rammed a wet dust sheet into the throat of the stove, to cut off the air supply. It worked a treat but was pretty scary. After it all cooled down, I swept the chimney before relighting the stove.
I used the same technique, much to the surprise of the firemen. They couldn't believe I'd had a chimney fire until they saw my son's video. Break the fire triangle for success.
When I used to be a firefighter, we would use our water extinguishers to do that. Spray the coals, which steamed upwards up the chimney, and usually would put the fire out. The one warning I got(though I never saw it happen), was to be sparing with the water. The quick change in temperature could end up cracking the liner
@@OldMotorcycleAdventures beauty advice. 🍻
@@OldMotorcycleAdventures Exactly! Retired Firefighter here too. We used to just throw a large cup of water at the base of the fire...no more for the reason you pointed out....the steam would put it out.
Unless there was already extension by the time we got there, this always worked.
I have used a garden hose straight up the flue with great success, but a dry powder fire extinguisher is probably better. The big problem with a chimney fire is cracks in the chimney allowing the fire to get into your attic or walls. These cracks are often formed by a previous chimney fire that expanded the bricks or structure of the chimney and when it cooled down it left gaps. You would think bricks are fire proof and they are for the most part but they will expand when heated and a long section will expand enough to cause problems.
I have a fireplace and was using it many years ago. Had a chimney fire, called the fire department and they told me to wet a bunch of paper towels and throw on the fire 🔥. This worked very quickly and put out the fire. It made a lot of steam and the fire went out.
Depending on your woodburning setup, burning a hot fire once a day will keep the creosote in check.
Back in the day, we had a straight vertical metalbestos flue on a cast iron Morso wood stove in our log home in Maine. Every morning in winter, when building the fire back up from coals, we would burn a bunch of kindling wood really fast for 20-30 minutes before adding the cordwood. Being a woodworker, my Dad always had a ton of extra kiln dried wood scraps laying around to burn.
What you are doing is having a miniature chimney fire every day. With only one day’s worth of creosote it isn’t dramatic, but the creosote burns off so it won’t build up to dangerous levels. Still need to inspect at least monthly, and run a brush through it a few times a season.
Chimney fires are serious.
I once watched a chimney fire burn a house to the ground. It was in a very rural area away from any good water supply. Volunteer Fire Department was on scene quickly, but they lacked enough water to knock the fire down completely. They had a large pool that was filled by a pumper truck that had to run several miles to the lake to get water. Before they got back, they had drained the pool and the fire quickly built back up. This happened several times and the fire finally took the house down.
The lesson here is make sure your chimney is clean. Also helps to have lots of non-combustible material around the chimney, perhaps double or triple what code requires.
I had bought a 25 year old house where the previous ower said the chimney was cleaned about a year before and i should think about getting it clean
The house i had been living at for 5 years and never cleaned the chimney which was the first house i had with a fire place
My first fire in the new to me house i went outside to see if sparks were going into a near by tree and couldn’t believe what i seen the chimney looked like a butane cigarette lighter huge blue flame lucky for me i had a fire extinguisher near by let it go into the fire box then pointed up the chimney and finished it off
Climbed onto the room and could not see down the chimney due to so much creosol from the previous owners burning chip board and other crappy fire wood
We were lucky the house didnt burn down
Salt kills a fire too. Pour salt down the chimney. Coarse salt is what my husband used. Worked. The Chimfex Oxygen deprivation method seems safer to use. I’ll get one of these. Thanks for the info.🕊️
I am quite sure that shooting off the cap was unrelated to the fire stopping... think how long that took, it was probably just that the chimney fire simply burned itself out because it used up all the fuel in the chimney
Keep your chimney clean and have a way to extinguish a chimney fire just in case. Thanks for the video!
to Health and Home, we had a chimney fire back around '59 which was build up of creoste or soot, Dad used salt at the base of the chimney it did kill the fire. That was before these fire logs
I had one in a fireplace what I did was I found some sheet metal I had perfect to cover the fireplace opening cut the oxygen put it out. I put some 8x8 concrete blocks to hold it it was hot and we called the fire department by the time they got up there looked at it was out. I had a guy come out clean it he said the fire burned most of it away. My fireplace has a very thick liner in it so he said likely would not have burned my house down unless something fell on the roof. Now I have it cleaned once a year well worth $220.
Same.... rather spend the 200 bucks and get it cleaned one a year
You could clean it yourself with a 60 dollar kit from the hardware store. Nevertheless paying 220 is better than being dead I guess.
@@ThePROFESS10NAL I got a kit for 22 dollars, combo dryer vent and wood stove pipe cleaner. However, you do want to burn one of those creosote drying logs before using it, to get it dryer and more flaky, so that it comes off easier. If it is gooey and sticky, the brush systems will not work well.
I have a way to put out a wood stove chimney fire I used in Alaska for 22 years. Drill a 3/4" hole in the black pipe above the damper and cover the hole with aluminum tape. When you hear a chimney fire (yes they sound like a jet plane) close the air inlet to the stove, then rip the tape off and use your fire extinguisher (must have a 3/4 or smaller nozzle on the end). Fire will be out in less than a minute. Really bad fires take longer. I have put out three chimney fires this way
Wow thanks so much. I just had a weird situation happen with my wood stove. It was like a propane stove leaking gas and then it was literally. A whoosh. I could have lost my eye brows. I shut the flute to limit oxygen. Tomorrow I will sweep the chimney myself and order one of those gadgets you demonstrated in your video. This house I am in is a rebuild from the exact situation.
Had a chimney fire 30 years ago. Had it out before the fire Dept arrived by shooting water down from the top via a hose- which destroyed the inside pipe and resulted in having a new chimney built.
Fire Depth said: WRONG. They said to shoot the water into the cleanout of the chimney which would via steam rising would’ve put out the fire AND have saved the chimney. OK - next time
"...water into the cleanout of the chimney..." Would you re-word that for me? I don't follow exactly what youre saying.
@tattooedmilionare, I believe they have a small door, on the side, that can be opened to clean out ashes after a normal burn.
oh yeah. (1 of my chimneys has it the other does not. I always wondered what it was for - lol. Thank you :-)@@tiredofit1429
Wet newspapers will work
So is it just a road flare marked way up? What’s the difference?
We had a chimney fire in old two story farm house it sounded like space shuttle solid rocket booster going off black smoke everywhere
Throw a cup or two of water in fireplace or stove and close it up. Creates steam and snuffs fire.
When we show up for chimney fire we do this plus we have bags of dry chem from your fire extinguishers. A wet bath towel can work or wet paper. Simple
Even better is to soak a towel in a high concentration of water + baking soda solution. As the baking soda heats up it releases carbon dioxide which helps to replace oxygen.
Thank you so much for showing an actual fireplace chimney on the roof. Mine is burnt looking like the one you showed, so I guess it's normal. I couldn't sleep many days worried, but we need heat at night. I'm much more comfortable now. Thank you so so much! ❤😊
One of my buddies came home for lunch one day and the pot bellied stove, which had been stoked by his wife a few minutes before, began to make strange pulsing noise. He quickly identified it as a flu fire and threw a half gallon on CoolAid into the stove. The resulting explosion blew steam and fly ash all over his den and kitchen. It put the flu fire out but the clean up took an entire day.
That explosion was that huge "Hey, Cool Aid!" guy trying to burst through. Haven't seen him for a while, hope that incident didn't kill him 😢
Wow, that was expensive ! I have mine done for about 73.
A towel saturated in a water+baking soda solution will work much better.
During heating season, I clean my chimney every 2.5 months, whether it needs it or not. In 15 years I’ve lost 2 neighbours to chimney fires and have seen many a home burn down due to them.
Best flue fire prevention is to burn your stove hot. When I started burning wood 20 years ago I was keeping the fire damped down so it would burn longer.
You wouldnt believe the amount of creosote i swept out of that chimney the following year.
I like to burn my stove at around 450 degrees. I actually skipped sweeping my chimney last year, and after two years of burning hot fires i had a miniscule amount of creosote in my flue.
Yup, a smoldering fire creates a lot of shit in the pipe. I burn a super hot fire every morning. I tap the pipe afterwards and let the shit fall down, then rake the stuff off the plate in the stove.
As a child we would put salt on our coal fire should a fire start in the chimney.
The salt would turn to iodine removing the air in the chimney.
Worked every time.
I'll definitely be buying one of these products to keep in my home. I bought my own chimney brush set to keep things clean in between professional cleanings. DO the homework. Everyone should have one of these too.
Push broom cut down to fit inside, just extend the handle. I brick on a rope works good also. Lower the brick down the inside and drag it back up.
I have used these before and they do really work. A-1
I can't believe I spent ten minutes watching an advertisement for this product. I guess it's a good product and worth having around though.
Have your chimney top three feet over the peak of the house and clean it once or twice a year. Get your lazy ass up on the roof and run a brush down and then up….thats all it takes….. a total of 15 minutes which included climbing up and down off the roof. Burn dry wood and about once a week burn it hot for several hours…..that been my routine for 43 years.
I had a chimney fire. I closed all the dampers, etc but there must still have been enough air leakage so it kept on burning. I ran to the top of my house, up the short ladder that was always against the chimney, put on the gloves, lifted the conical top off. Flames were down below, not up there where I was. I flipped the top over and set in on top of the chimney. This sealed it well and stopped almost all the airflow, and the chimney fire went out.
Wow, sounds like quite the experience. Glad it worked out.
So you said you flipped the top over and set on top of the chimney"? Wow. Didn't that burn your asss or were you able to just hover over the chimney top until the fire went out? Amazing story.
Thank you so much .....plus the rock work is beautiful
Just wondering if you shut the damper and close the furnace or stove door, would that not starve the fire in the chimney?
I would shut the damper and close the door.
That's how I put mine out, sounded like a freight train
My understanding, if the doors to a wood stove are closed down, it does not stop a chimney fire because the chimney fire will suck air down the chimney when there is no air rising up the stack to keep it going. This just makes the top of the chimney hotter and hotter in one section, and the molten chimney pipe will evaporate and the fire move into your roof structure.
The traditional way to stop a chimney fire is to get your fire extinguisher ready to squeeze the lever and blow the ABC. THEN you open the doors to the stove wide open, aim the extinguisher at the open fire box, and the hot chimney fire will do the rest of the work. It sucks the ABC through the fire box and up the chimney, where it extinguishes the chimney fire. It worked for me years ago. Cleaning up is another not so simple story, especially after the chimney sweeps come and drop all the remaining chunks of blackened creosote down the pipe into the fire box.
I don't know if the method I just described would work on a fireplace, but it is always a good idea to have fire extinguishers around if you have a lot of fires during the winter, or even just a few. I would still like to have a couple of those Chimfex handy. Thanks for the tip.
Throw ice in the fire not alott enough to make it steam wet vapor puts out fire just start with a few cubes add as needed done this a few times at friends house after 2 nd time he had chimney cleaned
Guy used a 12Ga to put out a chimney fire? Legendary!!
That's a pretty 'Murica thing to do. GW would be proud
Wood stove size can have something to do with it also. If your stove is too big for your room/house, you will tend to burn it "colder" to avoid having it too hot in your room/house. This will increase creosote buildup in your chimney. Better to get a smaller stove and burn it hot than have a stove that is too big and burn it cold.
Not me, I have a huge old Kodiak that holds a lot of wood, I fill it up and it burns for a long time. I have a chimney brush that I use every month or two. That fire putter outer is a must have. I think 99% of people, including myself, have had chimney 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Untrue
You are absolutely correct, well said. The comment by speadfreak claims to know better, but he & 99% people he knows have chimney fires !
When the stack has a fire develop it doesn’t take long at all for it to start glowing red. I’m talking about single wall pipe. My house has about 16’ of single wall before it connects to the insulated chimney.
I’ve had to put out a few chimney fires in the past 46 years. I throw about a pint of water on the fire and the steam rises and puts out the fire. So far this has worked every time. BUT, & that’s a big but I keep one of the fire putter outers right next to the wood stove for the time the steam trick doesn’t work. Have checked the metal bestos chimney after a very hot fire and I could put my hands on the chimney and it was barely warm.
Are road flares the same as boat safety flares.
Out date flares would be a good back up !!!
For a wood stove, close the dampers to cut the air off. Take a plastic or styrofoam cup, larger the better. Slowly open the stove door as it will backdraft. Throw the entire cup of water in and close the stove door. The dense burst of steam up the chimney will immediately snuff out the fire.
Those flairs will prob work fine. They are the same thing as the Element fire extinguisher they sell to strap to the roll cage of offroad vehicles. Basically just expel a bunch of carbon dioxide.
If you want something just in case of a chimney fire just get an actual CO2 fire extinguisher so it can be used for more than just one situation.
I did the water thing for the one time we had a chimney fire and it worked fine, but twisted the firebox on the antique wood stove...small price to pay.😅
i was thinking the same. Why not just get a CO2 fire extinguisher? Like honestly, everyone should have one of those in their house anyway, especially if you have a fire or wood burner. Chimney fires aren't the only way a fireplace can get out of control. If you regularly have things burning in your house, even if it's just candles, you should have at least one fire extinguisher. it's a simple and versatile solution to many potentially disastrous problems
I've actually used this technique to fight an active chimney fire and it worked almost immediately.
Don't throw water on your fire people, this is stupid.
What good would a fire extinguisher do? The fire is inside the pipe, going up inside the pipe another 10’ up on the roof.
Would a regular road flare work as well?
Very cool! Thanks for sharing! I haven't seen that product around here but I just ordered it through your link. Thanks Chad!!
You are welcome. It seems to be worth having.
you can also take a large towel or heavy blanket and soak it with water and hang it over the fireplace getting it as tight as possible over the fireplace. use whatever is available to keep it there to keep air from getting into the chimney. I've done the same on the stove when something caught on fire, took the dish towel and held it under the faucet, it shouldn't be totally soaked if it's an oil fire, just damp. it put the fire right out.
Ive been told to keep gal jug of water near the stove so all you do is throw the jug with lid on in stove so it doesnt pop til door is closed anyway Throw it in shut the door and shut down the stove jug will pop and steam will put out the fire yes theres gonna be a mess in stove that will be needed to be cleaned out but home is saved
I'll have to check and research to see what testing NFPA and UL might have done with this product.
Heard a story once about a 12 gauge used to sweep the chimney by firing it up the pipe… so happened to be there was a little concrete inspection door wallpapered over just beside the bed in the master bedroom. It blew out and guaranteed a dark night’s sleep. 😂
A freestanding wood stove with metal pipe thats burning inside and flames out the top, do not try and cut off the air supply at the stove. What will happen is the flames will pull a vacuum so hard the pipe joints will come apart and the fire will fall out all over the stove and you. Be sure to install a bunch of pipe joint screws at each joint.
I've heard if you burn spruce regularly it keeps the chimney clean. I assume the sparks it gives off stick to the soot or whatever gunk you have there and burn it off in a "controlled" manner.
Thank you for the info and I loved the story! 😁
You used the good ole boy method. They are everywhere.
I heard that throwing a box of baking soda (Arm & Hammer) into a firebox generating a chimney fire will stop the flames dead in their tracks due to the concentrated release of CO2 present in the baking soda that is released when it contacts the flames. So I always keep a box or two next to all my wood burning stoves just in case....
A paper towel tube full of borax also works. Or even a tin pie plate on top of the fire in the fireplace. Fills the chimney with carbon monoxide.
Pie plate with borax.
You can also add ice onto your grill to stop grease fires when grilling and use tongs or spatula to remove ice if it looks like there's too much ice on grill
On an open coal chimney fire we would throw a packet of table salt on the fire. Then close the opening by holding a very wet towel over it. Did it work? I was too young to remember.
What about using a hand held steam cleaner? If the hose is aimed up the chimney to direct steam-that could help put it out.
I have no idea. You are creative.
No you could get steam burned
Not nearly enough steam would be produced
Got an extra five minutes to let the steam build up in it?
When i stopped using ny masonry chimney because the flew tile was cracked i went to a insulated double wall stainless steel pipe. Where it enters my basement i have enough room to clean the chimney from the saftey of my basement. I clean my chimney atleast every 2 weeks in the winter. The cleaner the better
Didn't know I needed to see this! Thank you! love the shot gun cap removal technique haha
I would love to see a demonstration please.
How about throwing a cup of water in the stove and shut the door? Worked for me. I clean the chimney every 2.5 months during the winter.
Had a chimney fire. Very scary. Threw water on the fire and all the smoke evidently snuffed out the fire in the chimney. Worked immediately. Fire department came and checked everything. Fast forward, use gas fireplace now.
Wussy. Just kidding ;)
Or you could've just found a professional chimney sweep, cheaper than paying for gas.
Will that flare work in an open fireplace?
Love the 12 gauge method did you use slug or bird shot 😂. Great video
Oh. Iam thinking it was chimney shot. !!! Ha. Ha.
If you have a roll of toilet paper saturate it with water and put it in fire place or stove this method works.
That is a great idea ... or a roll of paper towels.
If I have an out of control fire in my woodstove, is it SAFE to open the door to add one of these things?
I keep a ziplock of frozen water in the freezer to throw in, ive never experienced a chimney fire but its there if i need.
Unless I missed it, if you have a stove, you should be able to just close the air off? And or damper. Open fireplace is more difficult. Thanks.
I collected creosote, mixed the stuff with wax and sawdust.
For fire logs. Burns white hot.
I just keep a gallon of spray water around the fireplace. Cause you never know when its going to happen. But by having water by the fireplace, can put it out fast if you need to or to help kill down the fire if it gets to hot. I also keep a drain water hose near the chimney. I just connect the hose to it
Do you throw it in the box with the damper open or closed.?
Probably open so the non-oxygenated gas overtakes the flame to choke the flame out. That’s my guess anyway.
There should be a smoke damper in the chimney. Just close the smoke damper and voila, chimney fire eats the oxygen from the chimney and the chimney the fire goes out. Smoke damper also prevents the cold air creeping in when it is cold outside. I live in Finland and I guarantee, every chimney here has a smoke damper.
Great advice but if you close the damper on a live fireplace , your house will rapidly fill with smoke no? Smoke is what does the damage and costs thousands to clean up and remove.
@@jspee1965 No need to TOTALLY close the damper. By closing it enough to stop extra air to pass the fireplace stops the chimney fire from getting oxygen and it extinguishes.
Can this be used with an indoor wood furnace?
What do you do if your fire place only has a screens to close, no glass doors?
obviously we need to see it working
Will this work even if you don’t have glass doors you can close?
If you only have a fireplace and not a wood stove, I would doubt this would work.
I would think a box of baking soda blown into the chimney by a shop vacuum would work also.
Thank you for making this video, this is very important stuff. I will be getting this product for sure. Thank you again.
These 'flares' are locally available at grocery stores every fall and winter when pellets, logs, and compressed wood logs become available.
If you have to use this device. Still call the fire department 🚒You want to be sure the fire is actually out and doesn’t build back up! They will come out and use thermal imaging cameras to make sure she’s out! 🔥🚒🚒