Last Sunday morning dawned cold and damp at Critter Creek, so I went through my usual routine of laying a fire in the large fireplace, reminding myself to throw in one of the commercial "chimney sweeping logs" it has been my practice to burn in the fireplace each week ever since the only local chimney sweeping company went out of business two years ago. The fire was only four logs, no bigger than usual in the cabin's large fireplace. I then went about the process of preparing breakfast for my lady.
Suddenly I became aware of a low roaring sound from the fireplace, a certain sign of a chimney fire.
Alerting Joyce to the situation, we called the local volunteer fire company, emptied two Class A CO
2 fire extinghishers on the fire and up the flue, and closed the wrought-iron doors to the fireplace. I ran outside to retrieve the extension ladder from under the cabin, extended and raised the ladder at the corner of the chimney, turned on the water, and scrambled up the ladder with the hose as fast as a hungry monkey climbing up a mango tree. Flames were coming out of both sides of the chimney cap, which fortunately was a good three feet above any portion of the cabin. The cabin has a tin roof, but it was good to see that the cap was retaining the blaze.
Being mindful that too much water poured down a chimney fire can crack the lining of the chimney, I put the hose on a spray large enough to cover the three foot chimney and began the process of fire suppression.
By the time the fire department arrived, the fire had been knocked down and there was little more to do other than to ensure that it was indeed out. There was virtually no water in the bottom of the fireplace, indicating that nearly all of it had been turned into steam in the process of extinguishing the fire. An infra-red heat detection device brought by the fire truck showed the hottest spot was by then only 60 degrees. We were lucky.
I have now concluded that these commercially sold creosote"cleaning" products are of little use and in no way substitute for an annual mechanical cleaning of a chimney. In fact, by loosening the creosote, it appears that the cleaning logs can sometimes even promote a chimney fire -- or so says the Washington State Public Fire Educators Association:
Chimney Sweeping Logs:
The use of chimney sweeping logs (and similar products) alone is not an adequate substitute for mechanical chimney cleaning and inspection because it does not provide for the same level of protection to the chimney system.
Vital Points:
Each time you burn wood in your fireplace or woodstove, tar and creosote are formed and over time, will build up on the inside of your chimney. This build-up is highly flammable and can ignite causing a chimney fire. To prevent chimney fires, the fire service has long recommended having your chimney cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed professional. But now, a new product called the “Chimney Sweeping Log” has many citizens wondering whether an annual mechanical cleaning remains necessary.
The manufacturer of the Chimney Sweeping Log claims that the product contains “specially developed minerals” that act to reduce deposits of tar and creosote thus reducing the risk of chimney fires. To use the product, you simply place the log in your fireplace or woodstove and allow it burn for roughly an hour and a half. The product’s website boasts that “the burning of a single Chimney Sweeping Log can reduce build-up by up to 60%”.
Washington Public Fire Educators (WPFE) is concerned about these claims. While we won’t dispute what these fire logs will do, we feel that it’s vital to address what they won’t do. If these logs manage to loosen creosote so it flakes off the flue walls as the advertisements claim, where does that creosote go? It either catches fire as it flakes off and increases the potential for a chimney fire through the intense burning, or it falls to the bottom and collects on the smoke shelf, thus causing a future hazard.
WPFE believes that the safest and most effective chimney maintenance is achieved through annual inspections and mechanical sweeping. * * *http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hocslog.htmI have now located a well-recommended chimney sweeping company some distance away and made an appointment for next Saturday.
The purpose of all of this is just to advise any of you who have and use fireplaces in your residences to have them mechanically inspected and cleaned each year. And, please, support your local volunteer fire department! 
