If you ever experience a chimney fire touching off, it will put the fear of God in you. Years back my son packed our firebox full, in a very high windstorm. I heard what sounded like a freight train in the den, and outside lit up like it was daylight. I knew exactly what happened and headed for the stove. Luckily we have a big Fisher Grandpa Bear, and it shuts down completely air tight and in less than 5 seconds I had it starved for air and under control. The chimney was glowing red, and I climbed up to the top and covered it with a piece of plate steel to finish it off .I had it inspected and it is still usable. We were burning about 14 face cord of wood a year , now we are lucky to burn 2-3 after that experience, still cautious over it and brush the chimney a couple times per season. We burn only dry wood, and keep a hot fire, but got careless and didn't clean it as often as we should have . Operator negligence.
