Company Blog

Here we are again! Chimney fire “season”.

Two common causes for these fires occurring more often in late December and early January:

• Burning of wrapping paper and old trees after Christmas.
  – Burning materials aside from the designated fuel can result in a devastating chimney fire, but in reality, even apparently safe burning can result in such an irritating inconvenience.
• Lack of service (routine, regular chimney sweeping).
  – Our tendency for procrastination puts off annual service and then (at the last minute before the need for holiday fires) there’s no way to get an appointment and we think, “well, we really haven’t used it THAT much. It’ll probably be ok…..”

Anatomy of a Chimney Fire

Anytime wood burns, it creates by-products of combustion. These materials include smoke, soot, carbon monoxide, and creosote. The build-up of creosote is responsible for chimney fires. Creosote can be black or brown in color and flakey or slick in texture. Any combination of traits is highly flammable. With every fire in the fireplace or stove, creosote condenses along the interior of the chimney, building to increasingly dangerous levels. A stray spark or ember, from burning wrapping paper for example, can easily ignite the creosote, turning an innocent, homely fire in your fireplace into a catastrophe.

Creosote burns at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is four to five times hotter than traditional wood fires. This extreme heat and the other chemical traits of creosote make these fires very difficult to extinguish quickly. Resulting damage can include melted mortar, cracked bricks, cracked flue tiles and exposed woodwork in the house. Once the woodwork catches fire, the house could very well burn to the ground, costing thousands of dollars in damage and potentially injuring or killing people inside the house.

While chimney fires often create noteworthy displays of light and explosions, they can also be secretive and slow-burning, causing damage without alerting anyone. A chimney sweep will look for signs of a chimney fire, including smoke leaking through the masonry materials, honeycomb textured creosote, discolored chimney components, and heat damaged roofing. Generally, chimney fires will leave severe damage in their wake and require extensive repairs. Sometimes it could even require entire chimney rebuilds, in order for the chimney to function safely again. These are not inexpensive repairs, so avoiding chimney fires would be a worthy goal.

Fortunately, chimney fires are, for the most part, preventable.

• First, current fire safety standards mandate an annual chimney sweep, which involves the removal of built-up creosote from the interior of the chimney.
  – For fireplaces and stoves that experience heavy use, experts recommend more frequent sweeps, if need is indicated.
• Second, burning the proper fuel for the fireplace or stove goes a long way toward reducing creosote buildup in the first place.
  – Burning wood that has been properly seasoned cuts down on creosote buildup, as well as burning more hardwoods than softwoods. Avoid burning freshly cut wood – like an old Christmas tree – and any kind of papers or decorations, which burn very hot and can emit sparks and embers.

For more information on preventing chimney fires, visit our Company Blog page. In the search box on that page, type “chimney fire”. That will get you started.

To schedule a routine chimney sweep in Upstate South Carolina, contact Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps.

ANIMAL REMOVAL: Part 2

Is there something ALIVE stuck in my chimney?

It could be an animal (such as a squirrel or a bird) that has fallen down the chimney and cannot get out.

Squirrels

If you hear a squirrel scuttling around in your chimney, it is likely that it is trapped unless you have seen it scurrying in and out.

• Make sure the damper is closed.
• Lower a thick rope (at least ¾” thick) down the chimney, making sure it is long enough to reach the smoke shelf (just above the damper).  Tie it off at the top of the chimney.
• The squirrel should climb up on its own during daylight hours.

If the critter is in your fireplace,

OPTION 1 – get professional help
Call nearest Animal Sanctuary or Wildlife Rehab.  Have them remove any critters from out of the chimney.

OPTION 2 – DIY

• Position a live trap baited with peanut butter in the fireplace behind the fireplace doors.  Most likely the squirrel will huddle back in the corner of the fireplace and will stay there (even when you open the doors) as you place the just inside the doors.
• Move slowly and try not to make a lot of banging and clanging noise.
• Go away and wait for the squirrel to enter the trap.

Note: Just in case (before you try to put the trap in the fireplace), you may want to create a “funnel” system leading to an open door.  It is possible that the frightened squirrel may decide to bolt into the room.  Tables and/or chairs turned on their side can create a path out to an open door.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

• Trim any tree branches hanging over your house.
• After making sure there are no active squirrel nests, apply a 3-foot sheet metal band around the base of any nearby tree to prevent squirrels from accessing the tree. Caution:  make sure the sheet metal is at least 4 feet off the ground.  This prevents the squirrels from jumping over it.

Birds

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This information applies to trapped animals and not to birds that are nesting in your chimney.  Birds that might nest in your chimney are often protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.  See other blog posts for more information about Chimney Swifts and other protected birds.  

If you hear a bird flapping frantically in your chimney, it is likely that the bird is stuck.

OPTION 1 – get professional help
Call nearest Animal Sanctuary or Wildlife Rehab.  Have them remove the trapped birds from out of the chimney.

OPTION 2 — DIY removal process

• Get a few friends together.  Have them stand behind you with a bed sheet stretched between them.  If the bird flies out prematurely, it will fly into the sheet instead of all over your room/house.*
• Open the damper.
• Shut the doors to your fireplace. (If you do not have doors on your fireplace, you can create temporary doors by taping a sheet across the opening.)
• Allow the bird to drop down into your fireplace.
• Slowly open the doors to the fireplace and gently toss a piece of cloth over the bird.
• Wait a few minutes to allow the bird to calm down
• Carefully transport the bird (in the cloth) outside and release it.

*If the bird does fly out into the house, it can be gently “herded” out as long as the ceilings of the building are not too high.

• Turn off all interior lights.
• Open as many doors and windows as possible.
• Use a “rolling” wall (a bed sheet tied between two broom handles.) holding it up so it is flush with the ceiling and gently herd the bird toward the open door or window.

Perform the process slowly and gently so as not to panic the bird.  Panicked birds may fly into windows or other barriers.  Avoid pressing a bird for long period of , it may become exhausted trying to flee.

Once the unwelcome tenants are gone, call a chimney sweep right away to install a chimney cap with an animal guard to make sure no new unwelcome guests move in.