Fireplace use is incredibly common during winter, so it’s important to be aware of the most common causes of chimney fires in Toronto. As a result, you can prevent it from happening to your home.

Although many chimney fires do not necessarily threaten your home or your loved ones inside, it is still important to take the necessary precautions to avoid them. After all, they can leak toxic carbon monoxide into your home, damage the chimney, and force you to pay lots of money for repairs.

For these reasons, it is important to read up on the common causes of chimney fires. With the proper background knowledge, you can avoid this from happening to you in the future. Below, we will break down the common causes of a chimney fire in Toronto and how to avoid them.

3 Things That Can Cause a Chimney Fire

Chimneys are designed to withstand the high temperatures that are generated from your fireplace. Without this natural form of ventilation, your home is vulnerable to the buildup of toxic gases generated within your home. Although, chimenys are still suseptable to fires under certain condtions. Below, we will cover three major causes of chimney fires.

Flammable Buildups

One of the most common causes of a chimney fire is an excessive buildup of substances like creosote in your chimney. Substances like this are found naturally in things like wood, which you are probably burning a lot of in your chimney. Throughout time, the tar of certain materials can build up along the walls of your chimney and create a fire risk.

Improper Maintenance

Usually, the vast majority of chimney fires are avoidable. You simply have to take the necessary steps to avoid them. If you are a homeowner who doesn’t see the chimney as something which doesn’t need to be cleaned, you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Contrary to what you may have thought, a fire doesn’t necessarily remove all flammable items out of the chimney with the smoke. As we just explored, creosote is often left along the walls to buildup and create a fire risk. If you don’t routinely sweep your chimney, you are leaving yourself at risk.

Bird Nests & Sticks

It’s not as common but still possible for bird nests, sticks, and other debris to clog the top of your chimney and cause a chimney fire. If your chimney is made of bricks, it makes it even easier for debris to get stuck.

Oftentimes, this sort of chimney fire will brew for over a year before it comes to fruition. Usually, all it takes is a normal fire in your chimney before it will combust and cause a full-fledged fire. This is another reason why cleaning your chimney is so important.

How to Prevent a Chimney Fire

In the vast majority of cases, a chimney fire can be prevented if you simply take the extra time to check up on your chimney and clean it. As we explored above, most chimney fires are actually very predictable and easy to see coming if you know what to look for.

It is also important to consider the type of activity your chimney experiences. If you are burning traditional wood fires in your chimney, keep in mind that you can easily create a buildup up flammable residue over time.

Finally, the material itself of your chimney is important to consider. If you have a chimney with rough edges like brick, be sure to look inside your chimney routinely to see if there are bird nests, sticks, or other flammable things getting stuck inside.