Signs of a chimney fire and what to do

The signs of a chimney fire

A chimney fire happens when the soot and creosote lining the inside of the chimney catches fire. It can start suddenly during an ordinary fire. Watch for:

• A loud roaring, rumbling or cracking sound from the chimney, often compared to a train or a low plane. This is the most common sign, and the one people most often dismiss as wind.
• Sparks, burning debris or flames coming out of the top of the chimney.
• Thick, dark smoke pouring out of the chimney, or coming back into the room.
• A strong, hot, unusual smell.
• Walls, ceilings or the chimney breast getting very hot to the touch, including in rooms above or next to the fireplace.
• A stove or flue pipe glowing or making ticking sounds as it heats.

Some chimney fires are quiet and slow, and only show up later as damage. Those are found during a sweep, which is one reason a yearly sweep matters.

What to do, step by step

Your safety comes first. Do not try to fight a chimney fire yourself.

1. Get everyone out of the house, including pets. Do not stop to collect belongings.
2. Call 112 from outside. Tell them it is a chimney fire and give your full address, including the locality.
3. If, and only if, it is safe to do so on your way out:
   • Close the air controls on a wood burner or stove to cut the air supply.
   • Keep the stove door shut. Opening it lets air rush in.
   • Put a fireguard in front of an open fire.
4. Warn neighbours if you live in a terrace or apartment block, especially if you share a chimney stack or wall.
5. Stay outside until the fire service tells you it is safe to go back in.

What never to do

• Never throw water into a stove, onto a fire or up the chimney. It turns to steam instantly, which can crack the stove and flue and scald you.
• Never open the stove door to look.
• Never go onto the roof to look at or tackle the chimney.
• Never pull burning logs out of the fireplace. You risk spreading burning material into the room.
• Never assume it has gone out on its own. A chimney fire can spread into the walls, roof or neighbouring property without any visible flames.

Why Maltese chimneys need care

• Shared chimneys and party walls. Older townhouses and village terraces often share chimney stacks or walls with neighbours, so a chimney fire can affect more than one home.
• Old chimneys. Many older chimneys have no liner, or rough inner surfaces where soot and creosote collect easily.
• Occasional fires. Fires lit only on colder evenings or at weekends leave the flue cold most of the time, which encourages creosote to build up.
• Summer nests. Chimneys unused all summer can collect nests and debris that catch fire easily.

After a chimney fire

Do not use the fireplace or stove again until a chimney sweep has inspected it. A chimney fire burns very hot and can:

• crack the flue or its liner;
• damage the mortar and stonework of the chimney;
• leave gaps that let smoke, fumes or fire into the house or a neighbour’s house next time.

The sweep will clean the chimney, check it for damage and tell you whether a specialist needs to repair it before it is safe to use. If you have home insurance, let your insurer know what happened.

How to prevent a chimney fire

Almost all chimney fires are preventable:

• Have the chimney swept at least once a year, before the first fire of the season, and again mid-season if you burn most evenings. Our guide on how often to sweep a chimney has the details.
• Burn dry wood with a moisture content below 20%. Wet wood is the biggest cause of creosote. See our guide to the best firewood for a wood burner.
• Avoid long, slow, smouldering fires with the air turned right down.
• Never burn painted or treated wood, chemically treated pallets, cardboard or rubbish.
• Check for nests before the first fire of the season.
• Fit smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm, and test them regularly.

Our guide to what creosote is and why it is dangerous explains how the deposit that fuels chimney fires builds up.

Never light a fire to clear a nest from the flue. See bird nests in chimneys, and fit a CO alarm as our guide to carbon monoxide alarms explains.

Book a sweep

If you have had a chimney fire, or it has been more than a year since your chimney was swept, book a sweep before using the fire again. clear.mt arranges chimney sweeping and inspection across Malta and Gozo. Tell us what you have and when you need it, and we will confirm a date.