A terrible tragedy.I just got a big lump in my throat when I saw these pics. God bless the family

Pretty obvious from the pictures where the fire started. Keep those chimmenys clean of creosote build up or you will end up in a similar situation.

Does coal have the same creosote problem?

How often should chimneys be cleaned?

Howard, according to AAA Timberline (a National Chimney Sweep Guild member located in Clarence):

Creosote: Fireplaces, furnaces and stoves are designed to safely contain products of combustion, while providing heat for a home. The chimneys that serve these appliances have the job of expelling the byproducts of this combustion to the outside atmosphere. These byproducts include smoke, water vapor, gases, unburned particles, hydrocarbon volatile, tar fog, and assorted minerals. As these substances exit the appliance, and flow up into the relatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs. The resulting residue that sticks to the inner walls of your chimney is called creosote. The buildup of creosote in your chimney is unavoidable. Creosote forms a black or brown powdery, flaky or glazed coating on the inside of your chimney. This buildup is a potential fire hazard; it’s the primary fuel in most chimney fires! During a chimney fire, the outside surface of the chimney can become hot enough to ignite surrounding walls, floor joists, rafters, insulation or roofing materials. Suddenly you have a structure fire, which can burn the entire house down. Even without a chimney fire, creosote reduces the draft and diminishes the efficiency of your heating system. Certain conditions encourage the buildup of creosote. Restricted air supplies, unseasoned wood, and cooler than normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the buildup of creosote on chimney flue walls. It is imperative that all homeowners have their chimneys swept and inspected on an annual basis by a Certified Chimney Professional in order to reduce the risk of creosote related problems.

Safety Tips

* Have your chimney swept and inspected by a CSIA certified technician at least once a year. If it’s dirty, get it cleaned!
* Check the outside of your chimney regularly. If it needs repair, get it done before there is further deterioration and more expensive repairs down the road.
* Install a chimney cap. Caps prevent water damage and keep animals out of the flue. They also reduce the danger of flying sparks.
* Burn seasoned wood. Seasoned wood burns cleaner that green wood. Only burn wood with a moisture content of less than 20%.
* Check draft before lighting a fire and make sure the damper is open. Opening a window on the windward side of your home may help improve draft.

http://www.aaatimberline.com/chimneyinfo_01.htm

You can prevent creosote buildup by burning a hot fire a couple times a week. The burn indicator on my flue has a 550F (safe) burn limit. I routinely hit that temperature and whenever I do an inspection from the roof, there's nothing built up in the single wall or triple wall pipes. I've been burning nothing but pine all year, too. At least 20 cord has gone through there with no problem this season alone.

About chimney caps - They tend to build up creosote because they're the coolest part of the chimney system. I had to take the screen off of mine because it was plugging up and turning into a glowing ember all by itself. Always use a cap but keep them cleaned.

The bottom line is inspect, inspect, inspect! You need to get onto the roof and shine a powerful flashlight down through the chimney if at all possible and visually see how thick the buildup is. Burning wood is not labor free. It takes work and due diligence. It can be done safely. If you're always burning a "cold" fire, you're asking for trouble. Let that thing roar like a dragon sometimes and keep it burned out.

To the family that lost their house, my heart goes out to you. It's a terrible thing to lose your home, possessions and memories. I live in EB but can't place where the house is/was.

Thanks for the info, Kelly and Doug.