In light of load shedding, when people are left without electricity for hours on end, a warm crackling fire seems to be the perfect antidote to the cold.
But having an indoor fireplace comes with its own hazards, as a Stanford family recently experienced when their house caught alight after starting a fire in their fireplace.
Captain Blanche Davids, Stanford Police Station commander, confirmed the incident occurred between 20:40 and 21:45 on Wednesday 19 July at a house in Queen Victoria Street.
She said the fire reportedly started in the flue of the indoor fireplace.
“There was damage to the roof, top floor of the structure, dining room and kitchen.”
Davids urged those with fireplaces to ensure the fire is properly extinguished before they go to bed.
James Peiser, owner of Chimney Clean, which offers professional chimney cleaning, said it is important to have one’s chimney cleaned on a regular basis as the build-up of creosote in the flue can lead to fires.
The resin in wood, explained Peiser, causes the creosote build-up in the chimney. “If this catches fire it can burn up to 1 200 ºC to 1 600 ºC hot and this heat transfers to the roofing timber, leading to fires.”
He added it is important that all chimneys also have a protective sleeve that minimises the transferrence of heat from the flue to the roofing timber.
“All wood burning chimneys should be cleaned regularly, whether it’s your fireplace or braai,” Peiser pointed out.
“The more often you make a fire, the more often you need to have your chimney cleaned. Insurance companies are starting to require that chimneys are cleaned at least once a year but if you tend to have a fire in your fireplace from the morning till the evening, you should do it every six months.”
Contact Peiser on 083 442 5070 to have your chimney cleaned in order to ensure your family’s safety.
