Different types of fires and how to deal with them

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The winter months are almost upon us and as our days and nights are getting chillier, the heaters are being dusted off and the fireplaces stacked with wood. This is the most common time of year for chimney and electrical fires.

Chimney Fires

Most chimney fires are caused by dirty chimneys.

We are often asked, ‘What is the black stuff in my chimney?’ Well, any time you burn wood, by-products of combustion are formed, and those by-products include creosote and soot. This is what you’re seeing – and it’s not good.

Soot needs to be removed from the chimney periodically. However, the by-product of wood burning we’re most concerned with when it comes to chimney fires is creosote.

 Here’s why…

 When you burn wood, the smoke produced by the fire contains unburned wood particles. The smoke cools as it passes through the chimney, leaving condensation on the walls of the flue lining in the form of creosote.

 Creosote is a black or brown residue that can be crusty and flaky, tar-like, drippy and sticky, or shiny and hardened. At first, the build-up may be light and easy to remove. But with each fire you burn in your fireplace, creosote can build up, thicken, and glaze.

 Naturally, creosote is corrosive and can damage the flue liner over time, but the real concern is its highly flammability. Because creosote is formed from unburned wood particles, all forms of creosote are highly combustible. If the temperature within the flue is right, the creosote inside could ignite and cause a chimney fire. In fact just 0.3cm build-up of creosote is considered enough to cause a chimney fire.

 Chimneys are meant to contain smoke, not fire.

 In fact, if you have a fire in your chimney, within a matter of seconds or minutes, the tile liner could expand and crack, allowing heat and fire to access the roof, nearby walls, and other combustibles in the home through the brickwork. And that’s how a chimney fire rapidly spreads to become a full-fledged house fire.

 Flammable blockages caused by birds’ nests and other debris can also cause a chimney fire. And it’s not uncommon to find nesting materials in a chimney, either.

 Like we said, most chimney fires are preventable. All you must do to prevent dirty chimney-related chimney fires is schedule annual inspection and cleaning, and make sure your chimney is properly capped.

 Spare firewood should not be stacked too close to your house … not only for insect problems but one of the most common ember hazards homeowners create is the placement of firewood stacks next to their home. During a wildfire, hundreds of burning embers could become lodged within the stack. The dry, high winds that often accompany wildfire can fan the embers and cause ignition.

 Electrical Fires

 Electrical fires can occur because of defects in wiring or appliance failure, and many happen because of overloaded electrical outlets or extension cords.

 Here are the 7 most common causes of electrical fires in the home:

1. Faulty electrical outlets and aging appliances.This can include faults in appliance cords, receptacles and switches. If an appliance has a worn or frayed cord it can generate dangerous levels of heat, igniting surfaces like rugs and curtains, starting a fire.
2. Using ungrounded plugs.Appliances have the a third prong so they can be only used in outlets designed to handle the demands of higher wattage appliances. Never circumvent the ground on an appliance or power cord.
   3. Overloading light fixtures.Installing high wattage bulb in a lamp or light fixture that it is not designed for is a leading cause of electrical fires. Always install a bulb that is within the recommended wattage.
3. Placing flammable material near light fixtures.Placing cloth or paper over a lampshade can cause the material heat up and ignite, causing a fire.
4. Extension cord misuse.Large appliances should not be plugged into an extension cord. If you do not have a nearby outlet for your appliances, you should have one installed.
5. Space heaters.Placing an electric heater too close to combustible surfaces such as curtains, bedding and furniture is a leading cause of house fires. Coil space heaters should be avoided if possible. Liquid-filled “soft heat” electric heaters are safest.
6. Old wiring.If your home is over twenty years old, it may not have the capacity to handle today’s energy intensive homes. In addition,  outdated breaker boxes often have worn connectors that do not work, causing the system to overload.