Experts warn against lighting fireplaces before an inspection

Everyone looks forward to warming up next to a crackling fire during the winter but before homeowners enjoy the fire, they should get fireplaces checked to make sure they’re safe.

“Over the years creosote will buildup into those flu pipes, and that is our number one cause of fire or chimney fires in the winter because people are using those,” said Gale Blomenkamp with the Boone County Fire Protection District.

Creosote is a buildup that is formed by the incomplete combustion of wood products in a chimney.

Cedar Deraps has been working as a certified chimney sweep with Advanced Chimney Techniques Inc. for nearly 20 years. He said that buildup of creosote will cling to the inside of a chimney.

“Creosote is a carcinogen and beyond being highly combustible, it’s a hazard,” he said. “When they do catch on fire, it burns extremely hot and that can lead to heating up around the chimney.”

Deraps said a chimney he was repairing on Thursday had a wood-burning insert inside a masonry fireplace which ended up creating lots of creosote and causing a fire. Luckily, it wasn’t serious and the chimney sweeps were able to install a new stainless steel liner system to the homeowner’s wood-burning insert.

“In 2013 there were over 27,000 chimney-related fires in the United States that resulted in over 20 deaths, 60 injuries and 98 million dollars worth of damage to residential homes,” he said. “You certainly don’t want to be part of that statistic, and having your chimney cleaned and inspected yearly will make sure that doesn’t happen.

Not only can certified sweeps look for creosote buildup or birds’ nests that could cause a blockage in the chimney, they can also check for any defects in the chimney as well.

“For the amount of money you spend to have a certified sweep company come out and do an inspection, if you consider the cost of building a new house or your possessions, I think you get a lot of value for your money,” he said.

The dangers associated with a dirty or blocked chimney sometimes aren’t always ones you can see right away.

“If the chimney gets blocked off due to nesting squirrels, raccoons, you run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Deraps. Blomenkamp recommends cracking a window anyway when you’re burning and getting a carbon monoxide detector. “Anytime you have a flame, you’re going to have carbon monoxide produced,” he said. “Crack a window and let that vent.” Blomenkamp and Deraps recommend getting heaters and other means of heating your house checked out before the wintertime to make sure those are also working properly and don’t cause a fire.