which is the black soot in the fireplace, it prevents the flow of smoke in the chimney and can spark a house fire rapidly. Besides frequent chimney cleaning, Fisk recommends not keeping anything ...

Fireplaces from floor to fluetop are "far from the passive black holes most ... calls with Kentucky sweep Jeff Gitlin, explains what is happening in your chimney causing soot to collect, analyzes ...

Call a certified chimney sweep. If you decide you can handle ... flue and use the poker to scratch the surface. If the soot has a matte black finish and the scratch is 1/8 in.