A roaring sound—some people describe it as sounding like a freight train or a low-flying airplane—is typically the first indication of a chimney fire. If you hear this sound, and it’s growing louder, you have every reason to believe there’s a fire raging in your chimney. Clouds of black smoke and sparks pouring out the top of your chimney are other indications of a chimney fire. If it’s a big fire, flames can leap several feet above the top of the chimney. If you see or hear any of this, here’s what to do: Don’t go inside your home until the fire department tells you it’s safe to do so. When you do, don’t be surprised if things don’t look too good. A large chimney fire can dump a ton of smoke and soot inside. There might be water damage to deal with as well. For information on putting your house back in order, turn to Clearing the Smoke after a Fire. Don’t use your fireplace or woodstove until you’ve had a professional such as a fire-place or woodstove installer or a chimney sweep come out and inspect the chimney. Chimney fires can cause a lot of damage to the chimney structure, including cracks and holes in the chimney wall, the flue, the flue pipe, and the flue liner. If the damage isn’t repaired, any subsequent fires could move beyond the flue and engulf adjoining areas.
