Wood Heating Reminder From The Lyme Fire Dept.

Dear Lyme,
A reminder to those heating with wood.
Have you had your chimney cleaned since last year?
A chimney with layers of soot build up can become hardened , like plaque. This creosote layer
can ignite when it gets hot enough and create a fire inside the chimney. This can
spread to the walls or roof and lead to a house fire.
Have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year .
Please do not risk doing it yourself if you have a difficult roof with a steep pitch .

Signs of a chimney fire are:
Smoke pushing into the house instead of up the chimney , sounds of crackling or a roaring sound,
Sometimes you can hear the creosote pieces falling down to the stove pipe. A wall near the chimney that is very hot to the touch,
this can be upstairs before the chimney exits the ceiling level. Smoke in the attic. Flames coming out of your chimney.

A chimney fire can rapidly spread , do not hesitate to dial 911 , even if you think it self extinguished.


Do you have a proper metal can with a lid for ash clean up ?
Do not discard hot ashes without a proper container to make sure they are secure and do not blow to a structure and create a fire.
The Lyme Hardware Store has a galvanized can with locking lid that will work well to make sure
your ash is kept secure and out of the wind until they cool (WAIT ABOUT A WEEK).

Wood can be a reliable fuel as long as you maintain your stove or wood boiler.

Stay warm,

Mike Mundy
Lyme Fire Chief