The U.S.
consumer product safety commission, reports that some 39,500
residential fires in the 50 states were related to solid fuel
appliances and equipment in 1993. An additional 5,500 fires were
attributed to chimneys and chimney connectors serving heating systems
burning liquid and other fuels. As a result of these fires, 300 people
died, 1,380 people were injured, and total property losses were set at
more than $363.4 million.
In addition there were a
minimum of 214 deaths from carbon monoxide and at least 2,000 injuries
reported for the same time frame, though most estimates range much
higher. The root cause of most of these losses is that most U.S.
homeowners are unaware that chimneys are an integral part of a home
heating system and that they require regular evaluation and
maintenance. Most homeowners seem to have little working knowledge of
chimney and venting systems. This situation is complicated by the fact
that, damage and problems are rarely visible to the casual observer.
In fact, people who will quickly replace a faulty automobile exhaust
system because of the hazard it presents will allow their home’s
exhaust system the chimney- to go unchecked and unmaintained for
years. The threat of chimney fires and unsafe indoor air quality can
be greatly reduced, perhaps eliminated, if homeowners only understood
that chimneys are a major part of the home and require regular
maintenance.
