A fire on a mantle at a home nearby in Darien early Friday morning is a reminder of the importance of fireplace safety. The fire on Ring’s End Rd in Darien started in the chimney the morning after a Christmas day fire in the family fireplace. Fortunately, no one was injured and Noroton Fire Dept extinguished the fire in a matter of minutes.
Photo taken after a chimney fire. The creosote was over 3″ thick and had rained sparks out on to the wooden roof. Photo courtesy James Ball
James Ball of James Ball Chimney has seen it all in his 29 years cleaning chimneys. Ball notified Greenwich Free Press with a reminder that many fires are preventable with a regular cleaning and safety precautions.
Creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes can cause fires. Creosote is a gummy, smelly, corrosive and extremely combustible substance formed when wood burns and releases pollutants.
Proper cleaning and maintenance is so important. Ball recently explained that a chimney flue is designed to expel the gas and heat, but Creosote buildup can cause the interior chimney wall to catch fire. The walls can burn at high temperatures and melt mortar, crack tiles and cause liners to collapse.
For more information on Ball’s services visit JamesBallChimney.com, or call (203) 975-9242.
- Chimney Safety Institute of America #6310
- Member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild
- Certified Dryer Vent Tech # 353
- CT License # HIC0568337
- West Chester License# WC-889-H98
Read more about James Ball’s service on Greenwich Free Press:
Thanks A Lot, Mary Poppins: Local Chimney Sweep Clears the Air
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