State fire safety officials on Wednesday highlighted an unfortunate but preventable statistic concerning the month of February — chimney fires have been the top cause of fire fatalities during this month across the past five years.
From 2004 through 2009, 118 Alaskans died in fires — almost 20 each year. The causes of the fires varied greatly, but the majority were in homes. The most common cause was smoking, often when the victim had been drinking.
Fatalities from chimney fires, in fact, are relatively infrequent. But the fires are extremely dangerous and hard to stop once they’re noticed. “A chimney fire can ignite surrounding building materials before the occupants of the home are aware of the danger,” according to Mahlon Greene, public education coordinator for the Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety.
A chimney fire becomes possible when creosote accumulates on the interior of a stovepipe. The creosote is released from incompletely burned wood. Creosote is combustible itself. Once ignited, it can turn a stovepipe glowing red, enough heat to start nearby wood or plastic on fire. In severe chimney fires, the metal can fail.
A variety of safety measures can prevent such fires. Burning dry wood reduces creosote production substantially. Regular cleaning is another must, even if dry wood is used. Proper installation of wood-burning stoves and pipes is essential — a professional should take a look at them, if possible, to ensure they are secure and aren’t too close to wood or other materials that a chimney fire could ignite. Follow the manufacturer’s clearance guidelines.
Chimney fires aren’t the only wood stove-related problem, though. Given that more people are burning wood to avoid high-priced fuel oil, Greene offered some other tips for safe stove operation:
• Don’t start fires with gasoline or other flammable liquids.
• Don’t stuff a stove or fireplace with wood.
• Make sure fireplaces have a good screen or glass cover.
• When cleaning a stove, use a metal bucket and soak ashes with water.
One final note is important. Even with the best of installations and maintenance, the unexpected can happen. In such situations, smoke alarms are an essential back-up, as the statistics indicate. In the most recent decade for which records are complete, smoke alarms had never been installed or didn’t operate properly in more than half the homes where fatal fires occurred.
Maybe this will not be an issue when there are no more woodstoves.
One other point! Ashes often retain the ability to start a fire even if they feel cold!
Good practice requires them to be kept in a metal bucket with a tight fitting lid OUT SIDE YOUR HOUSE. Don't throw them in a dumpster!