Chimney Fire Awarness

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Created on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 18:18

Written by Mario Viola

ST. JOHNSBURY- Chimney fires are some of the most common avoidable fires that firefighters have to deal with. Chimney fires are formed when creosote, a very flammable substance, builds up in the flue. St Johnsbury fire crews responded today to a fire at 1240 Breezy Hill Road when the home owner reported a loud crackling sound, similar to a freight train, echoing through his home.

When firefighters responded to the scene, they saw smoke pouring out of the chimney. They say it felt as though they knew what was causing it to smoke. Troy Ruggles,St. Johnsbury's Fire Chief, said this is the time of year that this seems to happen "In a lot of chimneys this time of year we're going from cold weather to warm weather you can get a buildup of soot, that's exactly what happened in the top 2 or 3 feet of the chimney. We had a build up, it blocked it, caused the fire. What made this one a little bit more difficult is that the chimney liner cracked, and it caused fire to get between the liner and the cinder block exterior portion of the chimney,"said Ruggles. It took about an hour for the crews to put out the fire. According to Ruggles, this fire was a little more complex then your normal chimney fire. According to officials, the chimneys liner was cracked causing flames to get between the liner and the cinder block exterior. This made it more difficult for crews having to disassemble a portion of the chimney.

Things you can do to prevent a chimney fire include, burning clean wood, keep your chimney clean, and get an expert opinion with a CSIA certified chimney sweep. Unfortunately even taking all necessary precautions to keep your chimney safe, you could still be at risk.  Ruggles said the resident of 1240 Breezy Hill Road took all the necessary precautions "This guy was actually doing all the right things. He monitored his chimney regularly, he burned clean dry wood, and its just difficult," said Ruggles.