Update: The chimney at Critter Creek was professionally cleaned this morning by brush and vacuum, the chimney lining was inspected by camera, and a new chimney cap is now in place. The inspection of the lining showed no cracks, so my unorthodox "field expedient" of using a water spray down the chimney had,
luckily, not caused any damage. The owner of the company, whose "day job" is as a member of one of the East Tennessee fire departments, indicated that emptying a Class A CO
2 extinguisher up the flue and closing the doors to the fireplace had operated to limit oxygen to the fire from the bottom, allowing the fine spray of water from the top to knock down the rest of the fire. (The spray accounted for the billows of steam in which I was shrouded up there on that ladder.
) He confirmed what I had previously read and what Will noted above -- that using water in a chimney fire is not an approved school solution. Still and all, given the remoteness of Critter Creek, he noted, "Better to repair a chimney than to rebuild a cabin."
The importance of proper chimney caps also cannot be overstated. They not only prevent burning embers from landing on your roof when fireplaces are in use but also prevent birds and other critters from "moving in without paying rent" during warm weather seasons.
Permit me to close with these words:
"Support your local fire fighters, and have your chimneys professionally inspected and cleaned each year."
