That job on Maple Street where the owner had been burning pressure-treated wood for 2 years

I got called out to a house on Maple Street last fall for a chimney fire. When I got up on the roof and looked inside, the creosote buildup was unlike anything I had seen before. The owner came out and told me he'd been burning old pressure-treated lumber scraps from a deck rebuild. I tried to explain why that's so dangerous, but he just shrugged and said it was free fuel. I ended up having to do a full chemical cleaning and install a new liner. That experience made me change how I approach the initial walkthrough - now I always ask what kind of wood they burn and check the firebox for any weird colored ash. Anyone else run into homeowners who don't believe treated wood is bad for chimneys?

2 comments

2 Comments

white.alex2d ago

@emerycarr Did your uncle ever get tested for arsenic poisoning after that?

emerycarr2d ago

My uncle Frank did something similar back in 2004 with old railroad ties he got from a construction site. He was burning them in his fireplace for about 3 months before the whole thing nearly caught fire while he was watching TV. The fire department had to come and they told him the smoke alone was probably giving off arsenic fumes the whole time. He still has a scar on his arm from when he tried to put it out with a garden hose.