In 1982, wood-burning appliances accounted for more fires, more fire deaths, and greater property damage than any other kind of heating fuel -- about 140,000 fires, 250 deaths and $257 million in property damage. These losses represented 20 percent of all residential fires in the U.S., 5 percent of all fire deaths, and 8 percent of estimated property damage.
CPSC research indicates that most wood heating fires involve the chimney and not the appliance itself. The majority of these fires are contained within the chimney and cause no damage to the house. The Commission is concerned, however, not only about the chimney fires that did ignite other parts of the house, but also about the potential future hazard from the continued use of chimneys whose structural integrity has been compromised by a chimney fire. This is especially true in light of the fact that many contained chimney fires are not reported to the fire services; in fact, consumers may not even be aware that a chimney fire has occurred.
Therefore, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a special safety alert concerning chimneys used with woodburning stoves, fireplaces, and fireplace inserts. The Commission urgently warns consumers to be aware of the potential fire hazards associated with these chimneys.
Now that the nation has entered the heating season, the Commission strongly urges you, if you have a stove or fireplace, to check the chimney for any damage that may have occurred in the past heating season. If it is difficult to examine the chimney, a local chimney repairman, chimney "sweep," or dealer can help. Have any damage repaired NOW.
Most fires involving either masonry or prefabricated metal chimneys occur because of improper installation, use, or maintenance. The Commission staff has identified the following common causes of fires:
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- Improper chimney installation too close to wood framing.
- Installation of thermal insulation too close to the chimney.
- Improperly passing the stovepipe or chimney through a ceiling or wall, causing ignition of wood framing.
- Structural damage to the chimney caused by the ignition of creosote (a black tar-like substance that builds up inside the chimney in normal use).
Structural damage to metal prefabricated chimneys that results in wood framing being exposed to excessive temperatures or leakage of potentially toxic gases to the interior of the home can take the following forms:
- Corrosion or rusting of the inner liners of metal chimneys.
- Buckling, separation of the seam, or collapsing of the inner liner of metal chimneys. (This can result from too hot a fire, especially in high-efficiency stoves and in fireplace inserts, or from a creosote fire.)
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