Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 23, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - With the first snows already well past, and the temperatures below zero, it's safe to say wood stove season is well underway.

Which also means it's chimney fire season.

Deputy fire chief Chucker Dewar displays a chimney brush near the roof of his home. Dewar says homeowners who burn wood should clean their chimneys regularly.- Amanda Vaughan/NNSL photo

"We frequently respond to reported chimney fires," said deputy fire chief Chucker Dewar of the winter season, adding that they have already had a few calls this season.

"Heating by a wood stove is popular in the North, especially since the increased fuel prices," he said.

Dewar said the first step in preventing chimney fires is burning well-seasoned, dry wood.

"Greener wood is harder to burn, and the inefficient burning is what causes the creosote build-up," he said.

He said burning other materials such as garbage, waste paper, plastics and other foreign matter will cause build up, too, and is also prohibited within the city, even in your home fireplace.

Once residents are burning the driest wood available, the next step is preventative maintenance, according to Dewar.

"People who are burning frequently should regularly clean and inspect their chimneys," he said.

He said people who are lighting their stove daily or near daily, relying on wood for heat, should start out inspecting and cleaning their chimney every week, and then set their routine based on how much build-up they are seeing in their chimney.

As for the cleaning, stove-owners should get themselves a proper chimney brush, which are available at many department stores, and, remember to take proper safety precautions, start at the top.

"Every chimney should have a cap on it ... and on the bottom should be a clean-out," he said.

Once these devices are removed, Dewar said it's just a matter of brushing the creosote build-up off the inside of the chimney.

People who are more casual users of their fireplace should start with a monthly inspection schedule, but he said that everyone who uses a fireplace should be educated on the proper use of its controls, and the safety precautions they should take.

"We definitely see people who come up here from the south who haven't used them a lot. It's important to be familiar with the operation of your wood stove," he said.

Resources can be found on the Internet, he said, adding that manufacturers' websites, or even a quick search on "chimney safety" can produce a wealth of information.

But when the creosote does ignite, he said many people don't even know they are having a chimney fire.

Only a bad fire will have visible flames at the top of the chimney, and he said those fires are usually reported by people who are outside the house. From inside, sound is the key indicator.

"There will be a roaring sound in the chimney," Dewar said, adding that if your smokestack catches fire, the best reaction is to close the damper on the stove to restrict the oxygen flow, and then call the fire department.

He also said after a chimney fire, homeowners need to have their chimney inspected for damage, something the Yellowknife Fire Department can check for, but isn't licensed to declare it sound or not.