Emergency chimney service in Yorkville, IL

Chimney fires

A chimney fire is burning creosote inside the flue. People describe a loud roar or crackle like a freight train, dense smoke or sparks from the top of the chimney, and an intensely hot flue. It can reach well over 2,000°F and crack the liner in seconds, then spread into the home’s framing.

Do this now:

• Get everyone out and call 911 if the fire is active or spreading.
• If safe, close the glass doors or damper to starve it of air — never pour water, which can crack the flue.
• Do not use the fireplace again until it’s inspected.

Once it’s out, we run a Level 2 inspection to check the liner for hidden cracks before you ever light another fire, and sweep out the creosote that fed it.

Carbon monoxide leakage

Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so your CO alarm is often the only warning. A chimney or gas appliance that can’t vent properly — from a blockage, a cracked liner, or a backdraft — can push CO into living space. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, or symptoms that ease when you leave the house are red flags.

Do this now:

• If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone to fresh air and call 911.
• Shut off the fireplace or appliance and don’t restart it.
• Keep a CO alarm on every level of the home.

We find why it isn’t venting — checking the flue, the gas appliance, and the venting — and fix the cause, not just reset the alarm.

Severe flue blockages

A flue can block suddenly — an animal or nest, a collapsed clay tile, or a heavy creosote plug. A blocked flue has nowhere to send smoke and combustion gases, so they come back into the house, raising both smoke and carbon-monoxide risk the moment you light a fire.

Do this now:

• Stop using the fireplace or appliance.
• If you lit a fire and smoke isn’t drawing up, put it out and ventilate the room.
• Watch for CO symptoms and leave if anyone feels unwell.

We locate and clear the blockage, then fit a screened cap so animals and debris can’t get back in.

Smoke backdrafting

Backdrafting is smoke pushing down and into the room instead of rising up the flue. It can be caused by a blockage, a cold flue, negative pressure from tight modern homes and exhaust fans, or a flue that’s the wrong size. Beyond the mess and the smell, the real risk is the carbon monoxide that rides in with the smoke.

Do this now:

• Put the fire out and open windows to clear the smoke.
• Turn off exhaust fans that may be pulling air down the chimney.
• Don’t keep relighting it — the smoke carries CO.

We diagnose the real cause with an inspection and fix it — clearing a blockage, correcting the draft, or addressing flue sizing — so your fires draw the way they should.

Sudden structural damage

Sometimes a chimney fails fast — a lightning strike, a bad storm, a vehicle impact, or long-hidden water damage that finally gives way. Leaning masonry, a collapsed crown, fallen bricks, or a large new crack means the structure may no longer be safe to use or even to stand near.

Do this now:

• Keep people away from the chimney, inside and out.
• Don’t light a fire — a compromised flue can let heat and gases into the structure.
• Photograph the damage for your insurance before anything is moved.

We assess the structure, make it safe, and handle the masonry repair or rebuild — and the waterproofing that keeps water from doing it again.

Not sure if it’s an emergency?

If you’re asking the question, call and describe what’s happening. We’ll tell you honestly whether it needs us now, can wait for a scheduled visit, or doesn’t need us at all. There’s no charge to ask.