Creosote can cause chimney fires in Severna Park and area homes

2/16/2018 (Permalink)

The black and white flaky soot is creosote. This was taken in an employees chimney right before a cleaning.

The groundhog saw his shadow calling for six more weeks of winter and it might even snow this weekend.  Keeping warm is on many local’s minds, so heating up that fire place is on the top of the list. Do you know the last time you had your chimney cleaned?  If it is too long to remember or over 2 years, call a chimney sweep now. 

After burning wood on a regular basis, the byproduct of it all can form in to a residue called creosote.  It is the blackish crusty, flaky tar- like soot that is seen in the picture.  This material is flammable and can catch fire inside the chimney.  These fires can be small and go unnoticed until they break through the wall or surrounding area.  Most importantly these fires are preventable with proper chimney maintenance and inspections.

If you find you have smoke or soot damage from a fire our IICRC trained technicians are available 24/7/365 to assist.