Had a chimney fire call last week that was almost a disaster

I got called out to a house in Elmwood last Tuesday, older place with a stone fireplace. The homeowner said they smelled smoke and heard a rumbling, and sure enough it was a small chimney fire. I've dealt with these before, but this one was bad because the flue was packed with about 3 inches of creosote. They had been burning unseasoned wood all winter, which I see all the time. It took me nearly 4 hours to clean it out with a rotary brush and some chemical cleaner, and I was sweating buckets by the end. The homeowner thanked me and said they'd never skip a yearly sweep again, but I bet they will. Has anyone else dealt with a near-miss like that where you just got there in time?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles6781d ago

Three inches of creosote in the flue" sounds off to me. Even in the worst cases, it's usually more like a quarter inch or half inch build up, never seen it actually reach inches thick like that.

smith.ray1d ago

Have you ever cleaned out a flue that hasn't been touched in like 10 years @charles678? Because I've pulled actual chunks off the walls that were easily pushing an inch or more in some spots, especially with those old inefficient wood stoves.