01/13/2022
What causes chimney fires?
Chimney fires are often caused by dirty chimneys that become filled with tar, which is extremely flammable.
There are many simple ways you can avoid this and burn a fire safely in your home. Here’s how you can reduce the risk of a chimney fire from happening to you.
Keep that chimney clean 🧹
It’s very important that you keep your chimney clean, and most importantly, have it swept before your first fire. Get it swept regularly to keep you, your fellow housemates and your property safe. It’s a cost that’s really worth spending. You may be wondering how often ‘regularly’ actually is, so we’ve got a few pointers to give you a general idea.
Wood – every three months.
Smokeless fuels – at least once a year.
Bituminous coal – at least once a year.
Oil – once a year.
Gas – once a year.
Whatever you do, don’t try and clean your chimney yourself…put that hoover down! A professional, accredited chimney sweep is the only person that should be getting up inside there. They can inspect your chimney properly and give you a nice certificate when done.
Now as well as getting your chimney swept, you should also check the structure is all safe, well-maintained and up to the challenge of coping with modern heating appliances. We suggest lining your chimney if it isn’t already, which should be done by a qualified and certified chimney engineer, of course.
