If you burn firewood

[byost]

I know this is non motorcycle related but, we recently had the misfortune of a flue fire that burned our house completely down. Before you start worrying no my bike didn't get destroyed I live in a rural area of Indiana and the fire started at 10:30 on Tuesday the 4th during near blizzard conditions. It took approximately 25 minutes for the volunteer fire dept. to arrive by then it was pretty well engulfed. We ( my wife who was at work at the time) walked away with the clothes we were wearing and what was in our garage. What we lost was priceless our pets and all of our pictures and mementoes. I know that there are a few firefighters on this forum who know of a product called Chimfex it is fire extinguishing device that looks kind of like a railroad flare. In the event of a flue fire you break it open strike it put it in your fireplace or wood burner and it suffocates the fire. I had heard of this device before the fire but, I assumed it was something only firefighters carried. The gentleman who came to do the cause analysis for the insurance company told me that these can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot and several other big box stores. Bottom line is if you burn wood or know someone that does please purchase a couple of these and keep them by your stove! I learned too late.

 

[PEB]

Glad to hear you and your wife and bike are fine, sorry about your loss. Chimney fires generally stay contained to the chimney. The chimfex sounds like a great device, a lot easier than laddering the house and putting it out which is our standard practice. It should be said that regular cleaning of the flu will dramatically reduce your chance of a flu fire as well.

 

[bowhunter007]

Sorry about your loss. I experienced the dreaded house fire, in 1997. Our losses were mostly from smoke & water. Fortunately, I was awake and was able to retrieve my younger daughters from upstairs. Scary.

 

[Brian VT]

Sorry for your loss.
I have a few of the Chimfex but, thankfully, have never had to use one.
Burn dry wood, have a chimney that's the right size for your stove, and check for creosote in the chimney often.
I burn my wood stove 24/7 from Oct. through April and I only get @ 2 cups of dry ash when I brush the (double-wall metal) chimney each month or two and the bare steel is showing after.
A buddy (and volunteer fireman) had an indoor wood furnace that automatically shut the damper way down when there was no call for hot water. He had to clean his chimney every week or so and had several chimney fires before he got rid of it and got an outdoor boiler.

 

[Boom Boom]

So sorry for your loss.
I spent many years as a mason and have rebuilt far too many chimneys due to a chimney fire.
Most chimneys constructed are crap, the liners are already cracked even before installed. If I had a common square type liner I would have a stainless liner installed inside if burning wood. Where I live I have easy access to hard coal and that is what I have burned for the past 20 years even though I have hundreds of acres of wood to my access. Zero chimney fire issues with coal.
The product you mentioned does work but you must be at home when the fire starts and most people are away when a chimney fire starts. Don't beat yourself up, odds are there was not much you could have done.
The last chimneys I built I used ductile iron water pipe, no way can a chimney fire make that fail.
For those of you that are burning wood, talk with your insurance company about installation of a one piece stainless liner for inside your clay liner. My brother-in-law only had to mention of risk of a chimney fire and he was offered to have a stainless liner installed at the insurance company dime.
Guess they were smart enough to realize spending a little now could save a lot in the future. Worth a call to your insurance agent.
Once again, so sorry for your loss.

 

[sevenfourate]

Wow - So pleased to hear no human life was hurt or endangered.

Sorry for the loss of everything else though.

Good luck going forward........

 

[eff]

Wow, so sorry for your loss.

 

[john r b]

completely sorry for your loss.. Hopefully ya'll have some place to stay?

 

[nknudsen]

That sucks! I'm sorry to hear this. I couldn't imagine. Good luck with everything.

 

[Fred1956]

Sorry to hear, I lost my house to a fire in May of 2010, fire marshall said electrical in nature somewhere in the area of the TV/Sateliitte/surround sound equipment. I wouldn't wish it on my ex-wife. No life lost in mine as I was gone to work and animals were outside but sorting thru the ashes to satisfy the insurance company is a nightmare....Glad to hear you and your wife are OK though

 

[Clay]

Wow! Thx for the tip and sorry for you and your family. That has to be horrible! Did all of your riding gear and stuff like that survive?

 

[byost]

Thanks all for the kind words! We are staying with my mother in-law(insert joke here) and we have great children who are helping us out. I had all of my tools and riding gear in the garage but I did lose all of my event T-shirts. I have been very pleased with Farmers Insurance. We will rebuild and keep on keepin on!

 

[bukwheat]

My sincere sorrow for your misfortune. Such a scarey accident. May God help you put this behind you.

 

[Moto7man]

Thanks for the tip. That sounds like a nightmare for you and your family. I wish you all the best!

 

[Coop]

That's a real shame. Very sorry to hear it.

 

[Rod Overstreet]

Sorry for your loss

Thankfully your family is OK. I burn wood from Nov till mid March, and will take your advise. Headed to Lowes first thing tomorrow morning.

 

[gasgasman]

Wow. Sorry for your loss.

Here's another great product for the stove top.

http://www.stovetopfirestop.com/

 

[gasgasman]

Since we're talking fires.

My wife's co-worker almost lost her house to a fire caused by her dryer.
The lint had built up in the vent and became combustable.
It can be so dry it looks like kindling.

 

[Rod Overstreet]

Since we're talking fires.

My wife's co-worker almost lost her house to a fire caused by her dryer.
The lint had built up in the vent and became combustable.
It can be so dry it looks like kindling.

Agreed. I take our dryer outside every spring, then take the leaf blower to every place lint collects. Same goes for the dryer vent hose. Its amazing how much I find.

 

[Nhuskys]

Sorry for your loss. I had a couple of near misses with Chimney fires 35+ years ago.