Skip to main content
Home
  • Home
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Community conversations
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Covid-19 response
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom
    Pete Bond
    Staff story
    24 Mar 2023

    Assistant Chief Fire Officer Pete Bond looks back on over 25 years in the fire and rescue service

    Ed stood outside 10 Downing Street
    News
    17 Mar 2023

    Ed receives Queen's Commendation for Bravery

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Smoke alarms
        • Home safety visits
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for carers
        • Advice for parents
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
        • On-call firefighter pay
        • On-call vacancies
        • How on-call firefighters benefit businesses
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Fire and road safety resources
        • Great Fire of London
        • Primary school fire safety visits
      • Secondary schools
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Young drivers
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Work experience
      • Fire station visits by youth groups
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires

Contact

  • Contact us
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Stop a chimney fire from happening to you
FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsappMessenger Share
News
27 Sep 2022

Stop a chimney fire from happening to you

A few chimneys in a row, with smoke coming out of the one in the middle. Only the roofs of the houses can be seen, as well as some of the brick wall of the first in the row, and a grey sky. There are a few trees in the background with no leaves, so it's clearly autumn.

Log burners and open fires are a great way to keep warm as well as create a welcoming, cosy atmosphere, but there are risks that come with fires too. 

In winter*, we attend more than 10 chimney fires a week. Plus, they’re the leading cause of thatch fires. 

What causes chimney fires? 

Chimney fires are often caused by dirty chimneys that become filled with tar, which is extremely flammable.

There are many simple ways you can avoid this and burn a fire safely in your home. Here’s how you can reduce the risk of a chimney fire from happening to you.

Keep that chimney clean

It’s very important that you keep your chimney clean, and most importantly, have it swept before your first fire. Get it swept regularly to keep you, your fellow housemates and your property safe. It’s a cost that’s really worth spending. You may be wondering how often ‘regularly’ actually is, so we’ve got a few pointers to give you a general idea.

  • Wood – every three months.
  • Smokeless fuels – at least once a year.
  • Bituminous coal – at least twice a year.
  • Oil – once a year.
  • Gas – once a year.

Whatever you do, don’t try and clean your chimney yourself…put that hoover down! A professional, accredited chimney sweep is the only person that should be getting up inside there. They can inspect your chimney properly and give you a nice certificate when done. 

Now as well as getting your chimney swept, you should also check the structure is all safe, well-maintained and up to the challenge of coping with modern heating appliances. We suggest lining your chimney if it isn’t already, which should be done by a qualified and certified chimney engineer, of course. 

It starts with what you’re burning

If you’re using wood to start your fire, it can’t just be any old log you’ve found out and about on a walk. It’s really important that the wood you burn is well-seasoned. This means that it should have been left to dry for a long time, so that all the moisture has evaporated away. 

It’s about to get a bit technical, but the basic takeaway is that burning wet wood could be seriously dangerous. The water vapour might combine with other gases and particles, which can create condensation (unless the chimney is kept warm), which then creates a substance called creosote. Creosote hardens to form tar, which as mentioned is really flammable, and before you know it a damp bit of wood has led to a severe chimney fire. Not cool or cosy.

Lighting your fire

So you’ve got your well-seasoned wood in place, and it’s time to get it lit. It’s best to light your fire with kindling (small twigs or sticks), but you can also use firelighters, if you’re careful (and store them away from the fire and any children or animals, in a safe box placed in a cool, dry place). 

Never light your fire using liquids like petrol or paraffin. This can be very dangerous, as it can ignite in a really explosive way.

Once it’s burning

The fire is well and truly underway, hoorah! We hope you’re keeping an eye on it. Be sure to never put any paper or rubbish on your fire once it’s burning. This can create floating embers which could start a chimney fire, or even drift and land on things in your home, starting a house fire too. If you have a thatched roof, you’ll want to be even more careful of embers. Just one spark is all it takes to ignite a thatch roof - read our advice for owners of thatched properties. 

Keep the fire contained to where you want it to be by using a fireguard or spark guard. It’s not so relaxing when your carpet or furniture catches alight.

Time to put it out

Perhaps you have to leave the house, or it’s time to hit the hay and get some sleep. Before you think of doing any of that, put out your fire. Make sure it’s out completely – you don’t want to return home or wake up to any nasty surprises.

So there you have it. Our top tips on how to prevent a chimney fire from happening to you. Follow these, and you should be safe and sound! 

Look after yourselves, stay safe, and have a happy, cosy autumn. 

Useful websites

  • The National Association of Chimney Sweeps.
  • Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.
  • Association of Professional Independent Chimney Sweeps.

*22 coldest weeks of the year.

Chimneys, open fires and log burners

Find out more

Top ways to reduce your risk of having a fire at home

Find out more

Thatched properties

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Covid-19 response
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Safety advice
        • Safety at home
        • Business safety
        • Safety outdoors
        • Safety on the road
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Young drivers
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Work experience
        • Fire station visits by youth groups

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo