Fire department offers tips for chimney season

People are using their fireplaces more often, for fire departments, it’s the beginning of chimney fire season.

With temperatures dropping, people are beginning to use their fireplaces more often, but for fire departments, it also means it’s the beginning of chimney fire season.

Mentor Fire Department Public Education Specialist Jerry Craddock said they get a call for a chimney fire about once a month during the winter season, sometimes more.

“The problem for us is that folks need to realize that if you’re going to constantly use your fireplace, it will need to be cleaned regularly,” Craddock said. “Burning wood causes a buildup of creosote on the inner lining of the chimney flue.”

Creosote can best be described as a thick black tar.

“Essentially it’s a fuel,” Craddock said.

He said chimneys are not designed to contain fire: they’re designed to provide a path for smoke to evacuate a home.

“When a fire burns in a chimney, homeowners will aside from the visual of seeing fire coming out of the chimney at the roof, they will hear a cracking and popping inside the chimney or interior walls that abut the chimney. This is very concerning — what’s cracking is actually the flues fracturing, that can be a way fire can extend into the home.”

If occupants see fire or hear the popping or cracking, Craddock said they need to evacuate everyone and call the fire department immediately.

“The best advice we can give homeowners is to have their fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned by a certified chimney sweeper,” Craddock said. “We say certified because they are going to be properly trained to visually inspect a chimney from top to bottom, this is done by using cameras. They can then clean and make any necessary repairs.”