Dirty chimneys culprit in house fires

The Fire Service attends hundreds of callouts each year to house fires that start in or around the chimney.

Many result in no major problems, but dozens still cause tremendous damage, says Fire Service spokesman Scott Sargentina.

The Fire Service was not surprised the cold snap brought nine building fires at the weekend - three of them involving houses.

The latest chimney-related incident was a three-bedroom house razed in Wellington's Breaker Bay on Sunday afternoon.

Although it was not known how the chimney fire started, Mr Sargentina said it was essential for homeowners to be vigilant in having their chimneys cleaned by a professional to help to avoid disasters.

The Insurance Council says people may not be covered if they let their cleaning lapse.

Chief executive Chris Ryan said some insurers made it a condition of policies for homeowners to have their chimney professionally cleaned annually.

"There could be a problem if it's seen that the fire started because the chimney hadn't been kept clear enough and that was the cause of the fire."

People who tried to clean their own chimneys might strike problems if there was a subsequent fire, Mr Ryan said.

"They really need to use recognised or accredited chimney sweeps.

"It is quite a skilled job, it's not a matter of poking a stick up the flue and saying it's clear. It does require some skill."

Cleaning should be done before the fire season, so any obstructions such as birds' nests put up during the summer would be cleared, Mr Ryan said.

It was also important for people to make sure concrete was checked in brick fireplaces.

"In a lot of them, there tends to be holes or the mortar could have deteriorated and you can sometimes have heat escape into the ceiling cavity," he said.

"The chimney sweep will probably tell them that."

Smoke detectors were not required for insurance purposes but were recommended by the Insurance Council, Mr Ryan said.

He also recommended people keep fire extinguishers in their kitchens to put out any fat fires, which could not be put out with water.

"It wouldn't affect your insurance but we just strongly recommend [you] havethem."

* The Fire Service has created a brochure that lists precautions people can take with their fireplaces:

Clean chimneys and flues before your first fire of the season.

Always use a fireguard or spark-guard with open fires.

Never throw rubbish into the fireplace - particularly batteries and aerosol cans.

Ashes can take up to five days to cool - always empty fireplace or woodburner ashes and ashtrays into a metal bin and pour water over them before disposal.

Before going to sleep, be sure your open fire is out.

- NZPA