Chimney fires

Chimney fires usually occur with incomplete combustion of fuel in attached appliance, normally wood or coal stove or a conventional open fire. Unburned volatiles are heated to the vapor state but not consumed due to the lack of heat and oxygen within the solid fuel appliance. Volatile distillates escape in to the chimney where they contact cooler areas and condense in to a tar deposits and soot. With the accumulation of either chimney plugs completely or the chimney reaches such a temperature and oxygen level at where the the deposit will ignite. These fires will burn very hot due to the the volatile material now present.