Fiery flue no fun for holiday, fire officials say.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

There's nothing like a glowing hearth to warm up a chilly winter night and chase away the post-holiday blues. But a 2,000-degree chimney fire can really ruin the mood.

Creosote buildup in a chimney can turn what is usually a source of comfort and coziness into a funnel of fiery destruction and even death.

That's why Oregon State Fire Marshal Nancy Orr recently urged Oregonians to get their chimneys inspected or cleaned, and to check their homes for other possible fire-starters.

"Keeping your family warm should not end up in tragedy," Orr said. "With plenty of winter weather still ahead, cleaning a chimney and getting a professional inspection of your fireplace or other heating appliances can be a life-saving decision."

The National Fire Protection Association recommends having heating stoves and fire places inspected every year for any damage or problems, regardless of frequency of use, said Chris Winslow, owner of Eugene's Ye Old Town Sweep and president of the Oregon Chimney Sweeps Association.

One of the biggest problems Winslow and his two certified technicians see is improperly installed wood-burning or pellet stoves. Next come stoves manufactured before 1986, the year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began requiring safer, more efficient systems.

"The new generation of wood and pellet stoves are clean-burning, efficient and can be one of the safest, most dependable, most enjoyable forms of heating when installed to code," he said.

But too many people choose to do the installation themselves, to save money, he said. The savings comes at the cost of more danger.

Improperly installed stoves can contribute to creosote buildup inside the flue, increasing the likelihood of a chimney fire, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

Burning wood releases a combination of steam and vaporized but unburned carbon by-products, which solidify and adhere to the flue as smoke moves up the chimney. At first, creosote appears as a fine dust, or soot. Over time the dust becomes crunchy, then tarlike and sticky, until it hardens into a shiny glaze.

If ignited, the residue can cause a violent fire reaching temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees.

Restricted air supply within the chimney, unseasoned or rain-soaked wood, and cooler-than-normal surface temperatures inside the flue all contribute to creosote accumulation.

Burning wrapping paper, cardboard, decorations or Christmas tree greenery increases the danger of a chimney fire, Orr said. The items burn quickly and produce large amounts of heat that can ignite creosote buildup.

Such fires are relatively rare in Eugene, said Glen Potter, spokesman for the Eugene Fire Department. "We see four or five serious chimney fires per year, mostly in the winter time," he said.

Statewide, there have been 91 fires caused by dirty chimneys during the New Year's holiday over the past five years, with an estimated dollar loss of $76,328, Orr said.

Winslow, owner of Ye Old Town Sweep, said consumers should look for technicians certified by either the Oregon Chimney Sweeps Association or the National Chimney Sweep Guild. Although certification is not required in order to work as a chimney sweep, it does guarantee a minimum of training and experience, he said.

"An annual inspection by a certified technician is as much an inspection for safety as it is a cleaning," he said.

Chimneys aren't the only possible wintertime hazard, Orr said.

Fires caused by portable heaters, wall furnaces and baseboard heaters have caused one death, five injuries and $460,111 in property damage over the past five New Year's holiday weekends, according to state statistics.

Most often, items such as clothing or paper stored too close to the heating units are the culprits.

Orr recommended keeping all combustibles at least three feet away from heating units to prevent ignition. She also urged consumers to look for models that automatically turn off when they tip over or reach extreme high temperatures.

Other tips included storing kindling, logs and wood at least three feet from any heat source; disposing of ashes in a metal container kept outdoors at least three feet from anything flammable; and turning portable heaters off when no one's home or when the family sleeps.

GET INSPECTED

For more information or to find a certified chimney sweep in your area, log on to the following Web sites:

Oregon Chimney Sweeps Association, www.ocsa.com

National Chimney Sweep Guild, www.ncsg.org

Chimney Safety Institute of America, www.csia.org