Firefighters deal with up to 7000 chimney fires in the UK every year. Most chimney fires
are preventable. Regular inspection and cleaning of chimney flues will help prevent fires
within chimneys.
To keep yourself and your family safe from fire you should take care to have your chimney
swept regularly, depending upon what fuel you burn, before the colder winter months set in
and you begin to use your fire and chimneys again.
If the worst should happen, a smoke alarm can give you the extra time you need to escape
in a house fire - make sure you test yours regularly every Tuesday, or as i like to say
‘TEST IT TUESDAY!’ And that includes Carbon monoxide alarms too!
• Chimneys must be swept on a regular basis this can be as much as three times in
the burning season (winter) but at least once per season regardless of fuel type.
• All wood burned must have a moisture content of no more than 17 percent.
• It is important to purchase the correct size appliance for your room, an appliance
which is too large will never be used hot enough to ignite all of the fuel within the
wood and unburned fuel will pass up the chimney as smoke and condense within the
flue as extremely flammable creosote.
To minimise creosote production in a wood stove these steps can be followed:
Remember a blocked flue can kill and the exclusion of air will put out a fire. All chimneys and flue-ways should be cleaned and checked during the summer months to ensure they are free from debris and in full working order before the heating season. A blocked or defective chimney can cause both chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisonings so it's very important to employ a professional qualified Chimney Sweep such as those certified by NACS.
