On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:30:57 -0800, "Ook" Ook Don't send me any
freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin'
spam wrote:


And no, you shouldn't ever start a chimney
fire on purpose.



How would you start one? Not that I want to know how to start one, but
rather how to avoid starting one. When I startup my stove, there are some
good flames entering the chimney from the stove until I get the fire going
and close the air intakes down.


You avoid starting one by inspecting your chimney at the beginning
of each season, and cleaning it when you start seeing a buildup of
creasote. If you you burn wet or otherwise crappy wood, or
indulge in short burns or banked fires, then inspect it once
a month, until you get a feel for how fast it builds up crap.

If you WANT to destroy your chimney and burn your house down,
then use your stove as a smudge-pot.. fill it with big chunks
of wet, resinous pine, and keep it just barely burning for
about an hour a day for two months. THen fill it with dry
birch splints and kindling and light the sucker off.