Fire!

[minestrone]

Seen a chimney fire when I was young, not a bad one as the fire brigade were there sharpish but they hosed some water down it from the top and the living room must have been like an Alabama swamp.

I need to get mine swept, not been used in decades and no intention of using any of them but the amount of tulipe that drops down onto the fireplace rips my knickers.

[OwlHoot]

Build fire.
Light cigarette.
Get cigarette glowing nicely, place on top of the fire.
Pour on liquid oxygen.

(Note, always add lox to the ignition source - never the other way round, unless you like really big bangs).

Some of these guys swear by something called Nobel 808 as a firelighter

[Paddy]

The most efficient way to get a wood or coal fire going is to make a draught .

In the 50s my mum used a double sheet of newspaper stretched out to cover the upper part of the fire place. Once the fire was going she would throw the paper in the fire. (I do not recommend that method.)

I use a flat sheet of metal. I close off 3/4 of the fire. it takes about 30 seconds for the draft to build up and one minute later you have a roaring fire.

Experiment with various types of wood. Various wood have different properties. Some burn slow, some fast, some will pop out therefore you may need a fire guard.

The older the wood; the better

If you have a small chimney fire, it will usually burn itself out.

Invest in a wood burner; it is safer and holds in the heat.

[minestrone]

The paper draft is a dodgy move.

People lose hold of the sheet and it gets sucked up the chimney increasing the chances of chimney fire.

[Sysman]

The most efficient way to get a wood or coal fire going is to make a draught .

In the 50s my mum used a double sheet of newspaper stretched out to cover the upper part of the fire place. Once the fire was going she would throw the paper in the fire. (I do not recommend that method.)

My mum did that and it really does get a fire going quickly. Newspaper over a fireguard is a better idea because it can't get sucked into the fire. You do need to watch with either method so you can take evasive action if the paper catches light.

I use a flat sheet of metal. I close off 3/4 of the fire. it takes about 30 seconds for the draft to build up and one minute later you have a roaring fire.

Experiment with various types of wood. Various wood have different properties. Some burn slow, some fast, some will pop out therefore you may need a fire guard.

The older the wood; the better

If you have a small chimney fire, it will usually burn itself out.

Invest in a wood burner; it is safer and holds in the heat.

Not too small a wood burner either. I had one which wouldn't last overnight.

[DaveB]

Probably a bit late now, but if you want heat, build a coal fire. Logs look nice and make lot of flame but give off a lot less heat than a coal fire.

Clear the grate, put 1 fire lighter in the middle. Use smaller bits of wood, finger or thumb thickness, 5 or 6 inches long to build up a stack around it then put a layer over the top. The kindling they sell in garages with the bags of coal does fine. Easiest way is one piece either side, then two pieces laid across, them, then two more until it's higher than the fire lighter, then 4 or five pieces laid across that.

Chuck coal over the top of it to half fill the grate, leaving a gap at the front so you can reach the fire lighter with a match,

Light the fire lighter. Give it 10 minutes and you'll have a good fire going that you can add more coal to later. In 30 minutes it will be too hot to get near and your room will be toasty!


If you do get a chimney fire you can put it out yourself if it's not to serious. Soak a bath towel in water lay it over the top of the fire. The steam from that will go up the chimney and starve the fire. Keep adding water to the towel to keep the steam going. By using the towel you don't immediately put out the fire in the grate and it generates a lot more steam to go up the chimney. Normally only takes a few minutes to work.

If it doesn't, call the fire brigade.

[Paddy]

Not too small a wood burner either. I had one which wouldn't last overnight.

I bought one on eBay for £60 including ducts. It is over 100 years old and has an oven section and two hobs. The older ones tend to be made of better cast iron.

[Sysman]

I bought one on eBay for £60 including ducts. It is over 100 years old and has an oven section and two hobs. The older ones tend to be made of better cast iron.

That was a good deal.

eBay didn't exist back in the 80s and second hand fires cost a fortune. I obviously wasn't looking in the right places.

[SimonMac]

[expat]

The most efficient way to get a wood or coal fire going is to make a draught .

In the 50s my mum used a double sheet of newspaper stretched out to cover the upper part of the fire place. Once the fire was going she would throw the paper in the fire. (I do not recommend that method.)

We used to write a letter to Santa, then (after checking the letter) Mum would hold it below the chimney and let go, and it would be delivered up the chimney and Santa would get it.

Don't laugh, it had a higher success rate than the emails I now send out to agents.