What should I do if my chimney catches fire?
Get everyone out of the house and call 911 — that's first, every time. If you can do it safely on the way, shut down the fire's air supply: close a stove's air controls and door, or close the glass doors and damper on a fireplace. Don't pour water down the chimney. And don't use the fireplace again until it passes a Level 2 inspection.
The first ninety seconds
A chimney fire announces itself with a low roar or freight-train sound, a sucking rush of air at the fireplace, dense smoke, or flames and heavy sparks off the chimney cap. Get everyone out and call 911 first — chimneys fail unpredictably, and this is exactly what fire departments are for. If you can do it safely on your way out, starve the fire of air: shut a wood stove's air controls and door, or close the glass doors and damper on a fireplace. Then leave it to the professionals.
What not to do
Don't pour or spray water down the chimney — thermal shock can crack hot masonry and make the damage worse, and the roof of a burning house is no place to stand. Don't reopen doors or dampers to check on it; every bit of air feeds it. And once the fire is out, don't light so much as a starter log until the flue has been inspected — a chimney fire almost always cracks flue tiles, and a cracked flue can pass the next fire's heat straight into the wall.
The follow-through
Call your insurance company — a chimney fire is a sudden event and the damage is commonly covered — and schedule a Level 2 camera inspection to document what happened and what it takes to make the chimney safe again, whether that's a stainless steel reline or a reline plus an EPA-certified insert. Then fix the cause: the fuel for that fire was creosote, and annual sweeping plus dry, seasoned wood keeps it from coming back. We're at (828) 545-0525, with a 24/7 line for emergencies.
How we can help
Related questions
- What causes a chimney fire?
- How do I know if I've already had a chimney fire?
- Can I use my fireplace again after a chimney fire?
- How often should a chimney be swept to prevent a chimney fire?
- What type of fire extinguisher should I keep near the fireplace?
- Can a gas fireplace cause carbon monoxide poisoning?
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