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Just found out 90% of chimney fires happen because of creosote buildup under 1/8 inch thick

I was reading through some NFPA stats from 2023 and that one blew my mind. Always figured you needed a thick layer of glazed creosote before things got dangerous. Turns out even a thin film of Stage 1 can ignite if the flue gets hot enough from a big fire. Found it in a report from the Chimney Safety Institute of America. I've been sweeping for 12 years in Cleveland and never realized how tight that margin really is. Has anyone else seen this stat or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_perry9d agoMost Upvoted

There was a firehouse guy in Columbus who told me a story about a house where the creosote layer looked totally clean to the naked eye, but when they ran a camera up it showed this thin hazy film catching sparks. Took one ember and the whole flue lit up like a torch. Makes you wonder how many people are out there thinking they're safe because they can't see anything on the brush.

caseythompson9d ago

That thin margin explains why so many fires start after the homeowner swears they just had it cleaned.