Putting out a chimney fire ??'s..

[realzed]

I haven't had one - but it got me wondering - if I did what I would or should do when it happens.
I heard of one guy who had one and he somehow threw a bunch of water into his stove and burning wood to try and wet everything down and all it did was create a lot of super-heated steam which further damaged his chimney - probably even worse than the original fire might have if left to burn out.
No doubt - any fire once it starts in the chimney immediately would get your attention and raise the 'panic level' - but what is or would be the accepted 'best way' to approach such a situation in a conventional double wall stainless type chimney?
It's that time of year - and I only use my small stove at camp for a few weeks Spring and Fall, and this year so far haven't used my drill powered rotary brush cleaner to clean the chimney (I don't usually get much gunk at all out of it when I have in the past) but it got me thinking tonight when I did light it up, what would be the best way to combat a chimney fire if I did ever have any issue..
Wood we use is hard maple dried 3- 4 years in advance - and outwardly it produces little if any smoke at all - not that it means much I realize, but I'm sure given the age and dryness it should be about as good as it gets when it comes to creosote build-up and the chimney is only 6" which although it is slightly restrictive because of the small diameter, probably somewhat helps it maintain or carry the heat created all of the way up from the stove too!
It does through have a rain cap - which I wasn't fond of but needed to use something to keep the snow out when it sits unused.
Chimney is 15 or so feet in total length from the insulated through-the-wall 90 degree elbow and thimble and stove pipe from the stove is double wall stainless, rated for 6" clearance to combustibles as well..
Thanks - Randy

[beenthere]

Before getting too much creosote in the chimney, I would promote a chimney fire using cardboard boxes and crumpled newsprint. Let it roar up the chimney and then close the damper to shut the air down and cool off. Worked great for 40 years. That along with a chimney brushing out twice a season. 
This was a 12x12 tile chimney original to the 1968 house build. 

You have double wall stainless and I wouldn't worry about it handling a burnout easily. You might try the aluminum cans to see if that helps. 

Others will chime in with their remedies too. 

[Gearbox]

A chimney fire can't burn without air. Just close the draft and damper. Make sure your door gaskets are in  good shape.

[beenthere]

A problem, I hear, with chimney fires is they can burn such that the air comes down the middle and burns up the outer edges. Like they can self feed their fire. What I've been told, but not certain that it is that way always. When they do that, shutting off the damper/air at the stove may not choke out the chimney fire. A reason why some chimney fires demand a flat cover on the top to stop them. 

Self induced chimney fire has worked for me by shutting the air off at the stove. Maybe it is a matter of chimney size too. 

[Firewoodjoe]

I used to keep those chimney fire sticks. There like a road flare I guess you could say. You open it and put it right in your stove. I do t have any as my last ones were very old. I tossed them thinking I shouldn't trust them. Well now I have nothing. 🤦‍♂️

[Don P]

I've never had one I needed to put out. Our stove cannot be completely closed. We have some ancient sticks too but my plan has been to discharge an extinguisher into the flue or stove, It should suck it up and eat the air.

[Dan_Shade]

Any thoughts on tossing boxes of baking soda in the stove? 

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Over 30 years of heating our home completely with wood stoves we have had a few chimney fires.  I just shut things down and let it go.   Always burn themselves out.   I just watch to see things dont get to hot but if your pipes are in good shape you'll be fine.   The trouble starts if the pipe or chimney gets to hot and ignites something in the roof or walls around it.  I dont have that issue because my pipes pass through the concrete wall in the basement only an then outside to triple wall pipe.  

I'd say the most important thing is to always be burning dry wood and keep enough air through the stove to keep a hot clean burn going.  Don't choke it off till it just smolders. 
That and clean it out at least every year.   I clean my cap every few months and the pipes once a year. Some years they hardly need it.

Funny story, when my daughter started dating my now son in law he was at the house one morning when my son came upstairs and said "I think we got a little chimney fire going in the big stove." 
Son in law was then and is still a volunteer fireman.  He jumped up like to spring into action and none of us moved.  We just sat there with our coffee.   He sat back down.  Fidgeted for a few minutes and then blurted "Well aren't we going to do something?"   We all laughed, he was ready to burst.   He has since learned an awful lot.  

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Any thoughts on tossing boxes of baking soda in the stove?

Well Dan, if nothing else it will smell nice and fresh. :D    
Seriously I have heard people say to do that. I don't know if it accomplishes anything.

[Don P]

At about 600°F, Bicarbonate of soda, baking soda, produces CO2 and water. Global warming but chimney cooling  :D

[thecfarm]

I had one once.
I climbed the ladder and threw some snow into the top. That must have chocked off the air enough to put the fire out.

[Old Greenhorn]

Quick reply as I have to get to work, but the very first thing is to shut off the air inlets on the stove as far as you can and monitor while you call the FD. Also get the family up and dressed and ready to move out quick. Check for heat in the walls where the chimney passes, this is how structure fires start. Don't forget to check the attic and roof! The chimney temp can easily exceed well over 600° with the right conditions. I have touched (masonry) walls so hot I could not leave my bare hand there. Basically you have a chemical fire working in there.  In the FD we kept paper sacks (bags) of dry chem on the truck and we could drop it down the chimney for active burning chimneys, the bag burns away as it drops down and the vortex effect of the fire helps spread it. Works best on pulsing fires. Some really hot ones will suck air down the chimney when the stove has cut off the air. This is called 'pulsing' or 'Breathing'. That not a good sign.
 DO NOT USE WATER except on combustible (wood) structure walls. Water on hot masonry will cause it to spalt or fracture. You can also stove a dry chem in the stove for a quick shot, it should damp the fire down and hopefully draft up the chimney, but you also admit air when you do that. Call your FD, because they can use their TIC (Thermal Imaging Camera) to assess the wall and chimney temps and make sure there will be no spread.
 On the new stoves that will not allow full choking down, look the stove over carefully, best done before install to see how they keep the inlet from closing fully. Mine just has a screw blocking full closure, which could be removed. I am considering removing that for safety's sake.

 Again, don't hesitate to call the FD. They come with the right tools and experience, and can make sure your house is safe before they leave. We used to drop chimney chains down after the fire was out. This would break a lot of big chunks off and at least insure there was a path from top to bottom and we could see how hot those chunks were to make sure we had a cold fire. We didn't use those on prefab chimneys much though, not a good application.

 Anyway, just a quick rundown. Gotta run.

[Crusarius]

I agree with old greenhorn. Most of the time when my department got called to a chimney fire first thing we would do is choke everything off as best we could then blast a dry chem fire extinguisher into the pipe. If it didn't put it out then we knew we would be there for a while.

So keep that in mind. if you try the dry chem and it does not put it out you should have already called the FD. 

I have had simple chimney fires that seemed like nothing, turn into a full on structure fire where we had to remove half the house to stop the spread through the joists and rafters.

[Raider Bill]

Throw a couple road flares in, damper it down and call FD.

[SwampDonkey]

Discharge a fire extinguisher into the fire box and close her down. It will be choked off air very quickly. I keep one on hand at all times. One that the local FD can recharge.

[Magicman]

If you do a "controlled/self induced" burn, wait for a rainy drizzly day or thoroughly wet the roof to prevent sparks from igniting debris or an asphalt shingle roof.

Controlling/regulating the draft should also limit the burn intensity.

[chet]

Two things that haven't been mentioned also happen to have been the largest contributers to "chimney fire" structure fires in my 35 years in the fire service. One is an inadequate or improperly installed chimney. The other was in older homes where over time stoves were taken out of service and chimney inlets were covered over with a "pie plate", creating a quick burn through area. Years of remodeling can cover these over with the current owner totally unaware they exist.
I should mention one more, and that is panic. We had someone remove burning wood from his fireplace and in the process catch his living room on fire, when his chimney fire was actually in a totally differant flue.  
In another, a guy tried to put his chimney fire out by spraying a garden hose down his chimney. He received massive steam burns to his face.  :-\

[Crusarius]

we carry a chimney snuffer nozzle specially designed for chimney fires it has a series of 8 fogger nozzles on it. the amount of water that comes out is almost nothing. Any more water than that the steam pressure builds up and blows the chimney apart or like chet said massive steam burns.

The chimney snuffer is just enough water to create steam and extinguish the flames while cooling the chimney.

[jmur1]

It is a very good idea to upgrade the chimney to an insulated dual lined chimney for burning wood.  I did a couple of years ago and since have had a small fraction of the usual creosote buildup.  In the past I would have to clean the chimney multiple times a season and the base layer would never scrub off completely.  After a couple years I would have to pull the liner and bang on it to release the buildup entirely and only did that a couple times before the liner looked "beaten".  With the new insulated chimney there is less smoke out the top and the build up is significantly reduced.  Its funny that there is not more "good" press on these chimneys.  I burn 24-7 all season long and this is the best solution I have seen yet to manage the buildup.  The other benefit is a bottom 90° clean out that allows for access from the ground.      

jmur1

[Hilltop366]

I've never had to try it but I have heard that putting wet newspaper on the fire (in the stove) will create steam and extinguish the chimney fire.  I guess it would be a way to introduce steam over a longer period of time in a more controlled fashion with the door shut.

With news being sourced online and the lack of news paper these days perhaps I'll have to wet down my computer and chuck it in there.  :D On second thought maybe a wet towel.

[beenthere]

Taking the time to wet some newspaper and stuff it in the wood burner when there is already a chimney fire, doesn't sound like a good plan to me.

First inkling of a chimney fire, shut off all the incoming air. Then worry about the fire in the chimney next.
Suggest then calling 911 to alert the fire department. Next look for smoke outside of the chimney, that might indicate a breach of that chimney.

Seems no time to wet newspaper and try putting out the chimney fire that way.

Also, a chimney fire may not be noticeable when it starts. Might be gone from the house, might be a neighbor sees the jet of fire coming out the smoke stack, might have the TV going and not hear the roaring in the chimney.
 Best is to have a good plan for keeping the chimney clean so that fire cannot start in the chimney. Over the 40 years of burning wood, I would often try to promote a chimney fire to burn out any creosote that might support a chimney fire. Somewhat like a controlled burn.. do it when I was there and not have it happen when not at home. 

[SwampDonkey]

I always inspect my flu every month, and run a brush up. I have access from the basement. There is never more than a handful of soot, but it's something that gets done all through burning season. I never have creosote. Nothing to it really.

[Magicman]

Over the 40 years of burning wood, I would often try to promote a chimney fire to burn out any creosote that might support a chimney fire. Somewhat like a controlled burn.. do it when I was there and not have it happen when not at home.

With the forecast possible 15° for next week, and knowing that the fireplace insert would be used quite heavily, I did a controlled chimney burn this morning.  After it "lit up" I controlled the draft so that the burn was barely visible out of the chimney top.  The entire process probably took 30 minutes or so.

[PoginyHill]

I've had several chimney fires over the years. I've always closed everything up and let it burn out. I think once I discharged a fire extinguisher in basement cleanout once when one seemed a bit louder than normal. My scariest ones are when there is so much creosote in the chimney that is starts to collapse and blocks the chimney. Then smoke starts to come out any other stoves or thimbles in the house. In those cases, the fire department told me they just through a heavy chain down the chimney to clear it out.

Those scary ones were a primary factor in us installing an outdoor boiler.

[Tom King]

 I think it was 1992 when we had a chimney fire.  For some reason, I was home by myself.  Duke was playing Kentucky in the Final Four, and I heard the jet engine start right close to the end of the game.

I knew the chimney was safe for inside the house, but during timeouts, I went out and hosed some water on the roof.

The only place it was a worry was where the chimney went up beside a storage room wall on the back porch.  I checked on that, and a nail in the T&G wood wainscotting was getting hot enough to start the wood smoking.  Next timeout, I dug the hose inside, and wet that spot.

Right after Christian Laettner made the turning winning shot, I went back there and the wood had just started burning.  I put it out, and that was the end of it, but it burned for a while.

There is a cleanout door at the bottom outside, and that had let enough air in to really get it going. It was blowing burning chunks out the top of the chimney like a Roman Candle, but fortunately things were wet all around.  We changed to a Propane heater not long after that, not so much because of the fire, but our kids were moved upstairs, and wood heat was too hard to control for it not to get too hot up there in the then small super-insulated house.  It's since been added onto a couple of times.

Soon after the OT was over, so was the fire.