We had a chimney fire in early April. I had one of these flares for 38 years and never needed it until that night, the price sticker was still on it $4.69. My wife had already called the fire department. I lit the flare and put it in the stove the fire went out within 30 seconds. The fire department arrived and were amazed we had one of these flares. They said they are the single best items wood stove users should have. The chimney guy came the following Wednesday cleaned our chimney also saying these flares work. I have two in stock in case I ever need it. The chimney guy said every few weeks to throw and aluminum can into the stove. The aluminum oxide will loosen the creosote on the chimney walls.

10minute video to explain a 22second process? My house is in 🔥 waiting for you guys to get to the point.

I feel like i just asked my neighbor a simple question and he jabbered on for 30 minutes before answering while i contemplated jumping out the window.

Thank you, I had no clue this was possible. Ordered one today. If you are watching this for the first time the actual content starts at 7:25 , skip ahead. The rest is all loosely related Anecdotal viewing engagement stories.

Actual content of video begins at 6:30

I have actually had good results by tearing off the top of a box of baking soda and fling the contents into the fire and close it up tight. The fire gets extinguished or drastically reduced, and the heat rising up the chimney carries a portion of the soda up and reduces or extinguishes the fire there.

This is brilliant - our stove installer and chimney sweep guy for 4 years never told us about this. Many thanks from the UK!

Simple to put a chimney fire out, add 2 cups of water on the fire slowly not to put the fire in hearth out as you need that to create the steam to put fire out. The steam rises and puts the fire out in the chimney. The secret is don't add to much water. Wait few minutes minutes then add another cup of water slowly to make steam. This is the method fire brigade used attending my chimney fire. Allways keep small bucket of water and cup close to fire place for this reason is my insurance. It works purfectly this method was known by most people years ago when every home had a open fire.

I found this video while looking for a way to make an anchor for my chimney that I'm redoing. It's an odd size so I can't find one manufactured. You didn't help with that problem but you did educate me quite a bit on what to do if the fire is out of control in my fireplace. Thank you so much for that.

Thank you so much for showing an actual fireplace chimney on the roof. Mine is burnt looking like the one you showed, so I guess it's normal. I couldn't sleep many days worried, but we need heat at night. I'm much more comfortable now. Thank you so so much! ❤😊

Thank you for the info and I loved the story! 😁

I was walking around my older townhouse community about fifteen years ago and saw sparks coming out of the chimney of an end unit. The wind was blowing in just the right direction that the sparks were falling all along the roofline. I rang their bell and by the time they came out to see it, there were flames popping up out of the chimney and the sparks were starting to make some of the shingles smolder and smoke a bit. Luckily our townhouses were built in 1969 and these were solid ceramic core brick chimneys with concrete tops and steel caps, and our roofs had asbestos shingles.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing! I haven't seen that product around here but I just ordered it through your link. Thanks Chad!!

Excellent ! Love the ''shotgun'' story !!

Wow thanks so much. I just had a weird situation happen with my wood stove. It was like a propane stove leaking gas and then it was literally. A whoosh. I could have lost my eye brows. I shut the flute to limit oxygen. Tomorrow I will sweep the chimney myself and order one of those gadgets you demonstrated in your video. This house I am in is a rebuild from the exact situation.

My father extinguished a chimney fire in the early 1970s by shooting his shotgun up the chimney. That is the advantage of having an open fire place. Then he went to the pub for a drink.

Here's the problem... if you put out the fire you have only solved the result and not the cause. Especially those who heat only with wood might not understand, though they should, that there will be another fire if they continue to use the chimney. This is a situation where prevention is paramount. Creosote forms when green (unseasoned) wood is burned and also when a slow fire is kept as in banking the fire for the night. Unless you have a poorly constructed chimney setup the best way to avoid buildup is to burn a hot or roaring fire whenever you kindle your stove or fireplace. This will burn off the excess creosote and prevent a larger chimney fire from starting. Usually fireplaces will burn hot enough that creosote will not form anyway due to poor draft control. It is these airtight stoves that are generally the most problematic due to incomplete combustion from lack of oxygen when closed up. This might be a good product for someone who neglects their chimney but I think it is far better to clean the entire chimney and pipes yearly and to burn hot fires regularly to keep buildup to a minimum for a safe wood heating solution. This method has worked for me these past sixty years that I've been heating with wood. Blessings

A well built chimney can burn out without risking a house fire. My mom would twist a newspaper torch and throw it in the bottom clean out door about once a year to burn it out. Needless to say it would have all the neighbors in a panic every time. It would shoot flames about 10 feet and soot would float down over the whole neighborhood.

Thank you for making this video, this is very important stuff. I will be getting this product for sure. Thank you again.

Had a chimney fire a few years ago, when my wood burning stove was roaring and set fire to the flue. Outside it looked like a volcano erupting with lots of smoke & flames. Managed to put it out by 1. dousing the fire in the stove using a garden sprayer & bottle of water, then 2. rammed a wet dust sheet into the throat of the stove, to cut off the air supply. It worked a treat but was pretty scary. After it all cooled down, I swept the chimney before relighting the stove.

I'll definitely be buying one of these products to keep in my home. I bought my own chimney brush set to keep things clean in between professional cleanings. DO the homework. Everyone should have one of these too.

We have an outside the house chimney. Those chimneys have a tendency to creosote faster do to begin outside and cooler. We clean our chimney every two weeks marked on the calendar. Been burning wood for 50 years with good luck. We do keep two firesticks on hand.

I had bought a 25 year old house where the previous ower said the chimney was cleaned about a year before and i should think about getting it clean The house i had been living at for 5 years and never cleaned the chimney which was the first house i had with a fire place My first fire in the new to me house i went outside to see if sparks were going into a near by tree and couldn’t believe what i seen the chimney looked like a butane cigarette lighter huge blue flame lucky for me i had a fire extinguisher near by let it go into the fire box then pointed up the chimney and finished it off Climbed onto the room and could not see down the chimney due to so much creosol from the previous owners burning chip board and other crappy fire wood We were lucky the house didnt burn down

Guy used a 12Ga to put out a chimney fire? Legendary!!

Thank you for the informative video. 👍👍

Modern stoves and furnaces are more efficient and send cooler smoke up the chimney which allows the build up of creosote. Long chimneys typically draft better to expel the particulates. Insulated double-lined stainless flue seems to be a great option on an exterior chimney. But the old standard is the clay flue brick chimney. The smoke heats up the mass of the chimney and provides heat long after the fire dies. I have an old house with an inefficient wood stove and a 30 foot long clay flue chimney. The chimney running through every story of the house stays warm and provides constant heat. I run an 8" square brush to clean it once year and get less than a gallon of soot-never creosote-just messy soot. Just clean your chimney once in a while and you are doing better than most and shouldn't have an issue. Oh yeah, I only burn hard wood and I wouldn't necessarily call it seasoned. ,

Thank you so much .....plus the rock work is beautiful

I have used these before and they do really work. A-1

We only had wood heat for 40 years until a PG&E caused forest fire in Paradise, Northern California burned every thing to a crisp and 88 people died! The guy at the place where I bought my first wood stove told me to get a rip roaring cedar fire every two weeks or so to clean the flue so there would be no flue fires but in the winter with a 8X12 pitch I wasn't going to use my flue brush that I used every year also. I had 4 chain saws and got firewood cutting permits from the forest service every year so we had plenty of firewood! I was teased a lot about how much wood I had but when the power went out like it did the first 25 years or so we kept warm and could heat water to bathe with and cooked on it too. We had 3 Aladdin lamps and were set even though things took a little longer. We were just camping in our cabin, one time for 8 days. I had a Toyota pick up with 12,50X33X15 on narrow wheels and could go down to 2 lbs. to get up our gravel hill and down the other side to get to work. I sure miss those days. I took of the pounds when I was splitting and splitting firewood but it was good honest work. I had a 266 Husqvarna Chain saw with a 28 inch bar and my other 3 saws so I could fell some good sized trees.

Another big mistake folks make is to burn wet wood. The cooler burning temps leads to more creosote production from incomplete combustion.

Keep your chimney clean and have a way to extinguish a chimney fire just in case. Thanks for the video!

Yes, chimney fires sound like freight trains. Had one start up about 15 years ago. Scary shit.

Didn't know I needed to see this! Thank you! love the shot gun cap removal technique haha

Blessings From Texas🤠

Chimney fires are serious. I once watched a chimney fire burn a house to the ground. It was in a very rural area away from any good water supply. Volunteer Fire Department was on scene quickly, but they lacked enough water to knock the fire down completely. They had a large pool that was filled by a pumper truck that had to run several miles to the lake to get water. Before they got back, they had drained the pool and the fire quickly built back up. This happened several times and the fire finally took the house down. The lesson here is make sure your chimney is clean. Also helps to have lots of non-combustible material around the chimney, perhaps double or triple what code requires.

Love the story! Praise God it worked! Nice shot!!

Had a chimney fire 30 years ago. Had it out before the fire Dept arrived by shooting water down from the top via a hose- which destroyed the inside pipe and resulted in having a new chimney built. Fire Depth said: WRONG. They said to shoot the water into the cleanout of the chimney which would via steam rising would’ve put out the fire AND have saved the chimney. OK - next time

Great info again. Thank you.

I cleaned my entire chimney 4 weeks ago. We had a few unusually warm days recently so my fires were lower temperature. This morning, I noticed that the 2 logs I put on coals in the middle of the night, were only partially burned and the stove was full of dense smoke. I hit it with a torch and it lit nicely. Started frying up some eggs and we smelled burning plastic? Then saw thick smoke coming from seems in double wall pipe and it was a chimney fire. I immediately used an extinguisher in stove and sent some down from the top and flipped the cap over to starve air. Then shoveled out everything that was in the stove and spent the day cleaning. Point is, the pipe wasn’t very dirty to begin with, but igniting the smoke in the pipe caused an event. Next time I see a stove full of smoke, I will consider my options better.

Good to know, think I will get a couple and have them on hand

Heard a story once about a 12 gauge used to sweep the chimney by firing it up the pipe… so happened to be there was a little concrete inspection door wallpapered over just beside the bed in the master bedroom. It blew out and guaranteed a dark night’s sleep. 😂

I had one in a fireplace what I did was I found some sheet metal I had perfect to cover the fireplace opening cut the oxygen put it out. I put some 8x8 concrete blocks to hold it it was hot and we called the fire department by the time they got up there looked at it was out. I had a guy come out clean it he said the fire burned most of it away. My fireplace has a very thick liner in it so he said likely would not have burned my house down unless something fell on the roof. Now I have it cleaned once a year well worth $220.

I am quite sure that shooting off the cap was unrelated to the fire stopping... think how long that took, it was probably just that the chimney fire simply burned itself out because it used up all the fuel in the chimney

Amazing. Why didn’t we hear about this before?

Excellent video 😁

One of my buddies came home for lunch one day and the pot bellied stove, which had been stoked by his wife a few minutes before, began to make strange pulsing noise. He quickly identified it as a flu fire and threw a half gallon on CoolAid into the stove. The resulting explosion blew steam and fly ash all over his den and kitchen. It put the flu fire out but the clean up took an entire day.

For a wood stove, close the dampers to cut the air off. Take a plastic or styrofoam cup, larger the better. Slowly open the stove door as it will backdraft. Throw the entire cup of water in and close the stove door. The dense burst of steam up the chimney will immediately snuff out the fire. Those flairs will prob work fine. They are the same thing as the Element fire extinguisher they sell to strap to the roll cage of offroad vehicles. Basically just expel a bunch of carbon dioxide. If you want something just in case of a chimney fire just get an actual CO2 fire extinguisher so it can be used for more than just one situation.

I had one once. I filled a large salad bowl with water and chucked it into the fireplace and shut the door. It instantly turned to steam and thank God, it extinguished the fire.

You used the good ole boy method. They are everywhere.

In our state stove pipe passing through ceiling spaces have to be three pipes to protect the building

I just keep a gallon of spray water around the fireplace. Cause you never know when its going to happen. But by having water by the fireplace, can put it out fast if you need to or to help kill down the fire if it gets to hot. I also keep a drain water hose near the chimney. I just connect the hose to it

I had a chimney fire. I closed all the dampers, etc but there must still have been enough air leakage so it kept on burning. I ran to the top of my house, up the short ladder that was always against the chimney, put on the gloves, lifted the conical top off. Flames were down below, not up there where I was. I flipped the top over and set in on top of the chimney. This sealed it well and stopped almost all the airflow, and the chimney fire went out.

So is it just a road flare marked way up? What’s the difference?

We had a chimney once. Got rid of it. No more fires. 🔥

Best flue fire prevention is to burn your stove hot. When I started burning wood 20 years ago I was keeping the fire damped down so it would burn longer. You wouldnt believe the amount of creosote i swept out of that chimney the following year. I like to burn my stove at around 450 degrees. I actually skipped sweeping my chimney last year, and after two years of burning hot fires i had a miniscule amount of creosote in my flue.

I'll have to check and research to see what testing NFPA and UL might have done with this product.

I have used these many times over the years. I swear by them. Rural king sells them around 15 dollars.

Holy crap! He shot a fire to death?! Dudes an actual firefighter.

If you have a clean burning fireplace (with an enclosed fire chamber and afterburner air injection nozzles inside), there should be close to no risk of a chimney fire. I think so because there are very few particulates in the exhaust stream because the combustion is pretty much complete. And the exhaust gases are supposed to have relatively low temperatures, around 100 °C (212 °F). As a bonus you don't pollute the air in the neighborhood very much and the exhaust is mainly CO2, not CO.

Thank you.

Get up on the roof and pour baking soda down the chimney. You may have to put a handful of snow down there first. When you clean your chimney monthly you shouldn’t have excess build up. The chimney won’t draw as well when the airflow is constricted by creosote buildup. After you remove the swept creosote from the clean out, cover the floor of the clean out area with baking soda. Thus the base of your chimney is covered in a fire extinguishing compound. Any burning creosote that falls there will go out.🎉

Had a chimney fire. Very scary. Threw water on the fire and all the smoke evidently snuffed out the fire in the chimney. Worked immediately. Fire department came and checked everything. Fast forward, use gas fireplace now.

Are road flares the same as boat safety flares. Out date flares would be a good back up !!!

I thought I'd heard it all!

There should be a smoke damper in the chimney. Just close the smoke damper and voila, chimney fire eats the oxygen from the chimney and the chimney the fire goes out. Smoke damper also prevents the cold air creeping in when it is cold outside. I live in Finland and I guarantee, every chimney here has a smoke damper.

Another way to put out the fire fast, at least in the fireplace, is to use wood ash or salt. I have half a bucket of wood ash just for this. No chimney fire yet though. Knock on wood. Cheers

obviously we need to see it working

When i stopped using ny masonry chimney because the flew tile was cracked i went to a insulated double wall stainless steel pipe. Where it enters my basement i have enough room to clean the chimney from the saftey of my basement. I clean my chimney atleast every 2 weeks in the winter. The cleaner the better

I heard that throwing a box of baking soda (Arm & Hammer) into a firebox generating a chimney fire will stop the flames dead in their tracks due to the concentrated release of CO2 present in the baking soda that is released when it contacts the flames. So I always keep a box or two next to all my wood burning stoves just in case....

@4:04 I like where this is going...🤠

I've heard if you burn spruce regularly it keeps the chimney clean. I assume the sparks it gives off stick to the soot or whatever gunk you have there and burn it off in a "controlled" manner.

Love the 12 gauge method did you use slug or bird shot 😂. Great video

I don't have doors on my fireplace. Could I still use it?

If you have to use this device. Still call the fire department 🚒You want to be sure the fire is actually out and doesn’t build back up! They will come out and use thermal imaging cameras to make sure she’s out! 🔥🚒🚒

👍 Cool....got my 12 gage ready locked n loaded 😎

1/1/24 $35.90 on amazon but still good insurance !!! My son in law is a firefighter, I’m going to ask if he knows about them. Thanks

I've had one of those sitting in my basement for over 35 years. Never had to use it.

GET ON WITH IT !!!!!

How about throwing a cup of water in the stove and shut the door? Worked for me. I clean the chimney every 2.5 months during the winter.

Wood stove size can have something to do with it also. If your stove is too big for your room/house, you will tend to burn it "colder" to avoid having it too hot in your room/house. This will increase creosote buildup in your chimney. Better to get a smaller stove and burn it hot than have a stove that is too big and burn it cold.

I catch mine on fire on purpose to clean it.

We always threw a cup of water in there and the steam put them out . Then you rattle a long chain down your stack to clean it out and boom your good

Save your potato peelings, let them dry out and just throw a good size handful in the fire once a week and you won't have creasote build up. Old hillbilly remedy from out in the stix with no fire dept. nearby.

I would love to see a demonstration please.

If I have an out of control fire in my woodstove, is it SAFE to open the door to add one of these things?

I would think a box of baking soda blown into the chimney by a shop vacuum would work also.

Just wondering if you shut the damper and close the furnace or stove door, would that not starve the fire in the chimney?

I use chimney sweep every few weeks. Check k my chimney twice a year.

What if you don’t have doors and just an open fire wood burner ?

Will that flare work in an open fireplace?

Soak a bath towel. Don't worry about dripping on the floor . Throw it over coals and close the door. Run and get another soaked bath towel and throw that one in . Repeat Then go buy one of the flares and call in the chimney inspector.

Your not addressing several questions about what if you don’t have doors. Is there something or an idea to have something on hand to cover the fireplace opening?

Do you throw it in the box with the damper open or closed.?

Easy way and its free, grad a pot of water and through it in the wood stove and the steam will put the fire out in seconds.

What about using a hand held steam cleaner? If the hose is aimed up the chimney to direct steam-that could help put it out.

Soaking wet towel, the steam made puts it out!

What do you do if your fire place only has a screens to close, no glass doors?

My neighbor growing up was a PA state police officer. He told me they would put road flares in your stove if you were cool and if you were not they let the fire department handle it

I keep an open flue, I lose some heat but it keeps my chimney clean

Tip your kitchen table in front of the fireplace opening, or close the glass doors if you have them.