What Every Queens Resident Must Know About Preventing Chimney Fires?

Many homes in and around Queens have fireplaces with chimneys in place. Come winters, and fires are lit more often and chimneys are at work constantly. But if unwatched, a chimney can host a fire that can have devastating results.

Chimney fires can engulf the entire home in the worst cases. The loss of lives and damage to property due to chimney fires can be huge. This devastation is easily preventable, as most chimney fires are the result of carelessness combined with lack of chimney maintenance. All you need to know is a few simple maintenance tips to ensure that your chimney is safe and poses no potential danger to your home in Queens.

Tips For Preventing Chimney Fires-

1. Get annual inspection done for your chimney as well as your fireplace. A dirty chimney has creosote, and soot buildup can be quite dangerous as when they start burning, they do so at high temperatures, causing the fire to spread very quickly. You must hire a certified and licensed chimney sweep to check your fireplace and chimney annually and clean them. The idea of regular maintenance is to ensure better passage for the smoke and exhaust gases.

2. Try to build small or medium sized fires. You must understand that small fires burn well and do not produce much creosote. Whereas a large fire that burns slowly, produces a lot of creosote. This adds significantly to the built up inside the chimney. Small fires with lesser smoke and soot are easier to control too.

3. Always use seasoned wood that is dry to start a fire. Avoid wet wood as it burns slowly with a lot of smoke. This smoke gets condensed inside the chimney and increases creosote deposits. Wood that has been seasoned for a minimum of 6 months is the right choice for building a fire.

4. You must never use paper or combustible liquids in the fireplace to start a fire. With such inflammable materials, the flames can get out of control very quickly. The possibilities of a fire disaster increase considerably with these materials. Other things that you must never burn in a fire place are- Christmas trees, wrapping paper and newspaper as they never burn completely. The burning particles float up the chimney and can ignite the creosote deposits on top. This can result in a chimney fire.

5. Using a chimney liner is the smart way to prevent fire. They ensure better air flow, better exhaust passage for combustion gases. Their other benefit is that they protect the chimney structure from excessive heating and exhaust fumes. All these make the chimney's structure safe and easier to clean and also reduce the chances of a chimney fire.

6. Always maintain a good air supply in the fireplace. Poor air supply aids in the formation of creosote. By fully opening the fireplace damper, you can improve air flow. When the fire is burning, you must leave the glass doors open so that there is enough of air supply for the fire.


Follow the annual practice of getting your chimney cleaned. In case you spot some damage to your chimney structure, call in a professional maintenance service for chimney repair Queens residents must follow the steps listed above to save their home from a chimney fire.

The writer is associated with Reed Boiler Service, the leading repair and maintenance service for boilers, air conditioners, chimneys and gas burners Queens and Brooklyn are their primary areas of service.

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