Here in the northeast it has become that time of year for chimney fires. I'm loking for input on different methods of handaling these types of incidents. My company at this time uses dry chemical bags "chimney bombs". What is your Trick of The Trade?

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Well out here in my dept in Massachusetts we use chain's,chimney bombs and the water can.
We use a garden type sprayer,water can with foam,chains and dry chemical bags.
My dept. uses chimmney bags mainly. We had used Chimfex sticks all the time but the factory burnt last year and now you cant find them.
Cant ever beat the old fashion dry-chem bags and chains, use them alot for these types of fires, also does any of your departments have a SOG on responding to this such emergency ?
Hi, our fire dep. use what we call a "snuffer" sprayer hose head it has got about eight micro fine spray heads. We can put out the fire with only a couple gal. of water.
We place a positive pressure fan at the door, close all other doors and windows and the fire place. Carry a dry chemical extinguisher in with you, when you got positive pressure, open the fire place and a couple shots from the extinguisher is all it takes. When the fire place opens, the only way for the air pressure to escape is up the chimney, taking the dry chemical with it. We came across this method on the web some time ago, tried it and it works fantastic.
We do the chimney bombs. Differenc is we go cheap and use good old Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in a CHEAP zip lock. If you use the good bags it might not melt before it falls through the fire. Using the el-cheapo's, they get dropped in from the top and the plastic melts before the fire releasing the baking soda. Then if needed we may dangle the chain down and knock the smoldering crap off the sides and call it a day (after making sure nothing got out of the chimney in to the attic, wall, ect because that would just be embarassing).
Chimney bags or a dry chem extinguiser if it has a good draft. We dont get many in the fireplace flue, most are with wood stoves, ovens and, boilers. Yes some peolpe in our area cook with wood and coal!! I love my town!!

Chain and weights we use to break through the blockage and to get a good draft. We try to keep peole off the roof in the winters.

If it is a wood stove we get a big cup of water and throw it in the fire and then close the door.  The 1,700 expansion rate of water into steam does the rest.  Then we use a chain or pole and swirl it down into the chimney to knock off all the creosote.

 

If it is a Fire place we use the poor mans bomb ie. baking soda.  Then we do the same with the chain.

one problem i see with this is if the chimney flue was compromised (due to the fire or other problems) and the chimney wasn't open, positive pressure could force the fire into the structure.
OMG we dont even have a plan for this.... i think we just get there too late... such is life in a rural hall.. but im bringing it up for our structure training 8 week schedule. thank you:)
We use the chimney bags also (cheap ziploc bags filled w/drychem) chain also carry a true ash pail & woodstove shovel and of course the thermal camera

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