Chimney fire, Check your smoke alarms

[ozzy1977]

Early this morning we were woken up by the fire brigade because our next-door neighbour had reported that they had a fire in a cupboard, which had started in our chimney, burnt through in to theirs and set a beam alight. luckily they had a decent fire alarm fitted as we had no smoke in our house at all as it was going up the chimney. I hate to think what would of happened if it was left until ours had picked it up, as it was it took 1.5hrs to get it sorted.

If you have smoke alarms check that they work, if you don't have them or they don't work please get them fitted.

 

[Toddy]

Good grief! and good advice too.

Chimney fires used to be if not common, at least well understood and sort of looked out for. Nowadays so few folks have live fires in their homes that I suspect many wouldn't have a clue.

That's going to be a fun repair, but at least it's only there and not the entire set of houses.

atb,
M

 

[Coldfeet]

Glad you're all safe.

 

[Andy T]

You're going to need a big picture to cover that hole. Glad no one was hurt.

 

[ozzy1977]

Funny thing is before the firemen created that hole there was only a burnt patch on the wall paper and the back of the mirror that hung over the fire.

 

[British Red]

With the new house I fitted the FireAngel alarms. These not only sound in the event of fire but wirelessly trigger one or more handsets to alarm and light up as a torch. We keep the handsets in the bedrooms so even if a fire alarm goes off downstairs and in another part of the cottage, it triggers the alarms in the bedrooms. We also have CO alarms linked into the same system.

No chance of sleeping through this system and not expensive

 

[ozzy1977]

Good idea, I will have too look them out.

 

[British Red]

Good idea, I will have too look them out.

Its a good system and cheap - on offer in B&Q right now

http://www.fireangel.co.uk/Wi-Safe.aspx

 

[TurboGirl]

Our woodstove using neighbour reckoned I was daft only using wood in our open fire... One day I last autumn I called him because his chimney was buffeting out a plume of smoke. He told me to mind my own, he was just burning cartons, 2 hours later the fire brigade was there. Laugh?! Oh yes

I love stoves but it's so cheap and easy to just sweep an open chimney myself before autumn sets in and wood alone makes much less tarry deposits to hold and sustain a smoulder and we can use it for indoor barbecues in winter one of our freinds lost thier 16c thatched cottage to a wattle & daub chimney fire a few years ago... I'm gonna stick with being just slightly paranoid

 

[Big Stu 12]

Your not having a lot of Luck Bud, what with nearly being flodded out at the weekend mate, glad it ended up well, and did not burn longer...

Good post and a jolt to check them

 

[ozzy1977]

We were lucky, there is more damage next door, which was only restored last year, the couple in there moved in in December and had a baby 5 days ago.

 

[Cromm]

Ouch. Glad you are alright.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Glad your okay mate. Did the beam burn right through?

 

[ozzy1977]

The beam started out 10"x5", there is about 4"x4" left at the top, the back side of the beam burnt along about 15" each side. Next door and about 14" of a beam burn down the middle of it.

 

[ozzy1977]

So far this week we have nearly been flooded, nearly burnt down, what is nearly going to happen next?

 

[Shewie]

Get some lottery tickets tomorrow night

Good to hear you're all safe

 

[Jackdaw]

An Alien Attack!

Glad to hear everyone is okay.

 

[ship]

flood, fire...... plague of locusts? glad it didn,t get any worse, really glad no one was injured or worse.

atb,
ship

 

[Melonfish]

how do you even stop a chimney fire? just regular cleaning?

glad everyone is ok though, hope everything is sorted soon!

 

[Jackdaw]

I get mine sweeped by a registered sweeper who also inspects the state of the chimey at the same time. When he's finished he issues a certificate for our insurance. He said I only needed mine doing once a year as we also have central heating and it isn't on all the time. He also said that burning wood causes more tar to build up in the chimney than burning coal, although they both do this, which can then cause a fire.