LAYTON -- Homeowners who have had insulation blown into their attics need to beware: When Layton City Fire Inspector Doug Bitton investigated the cause of a fire last weekend, he concluded that insulation had ignited because it was too close to a chimney pipe.
He believes the point of combustion to be right at the joint seam of the pipe where the heat overcame the fire retardant properties of the insulation.
"Everything pointed to this inserted fireplace," he said. "There was no clearance of insulation around the pipe."
Coupling that information with a similar fire the day before, he decided to immediately start warning people before more fires occur.
"I fear that we are going to have more fires," Bitton said. "I want to send out an advisory to homeowners who have had insulation blown in."
State Fire Marshal Ron Morris said his office is concerned because many homeowners are having insulation blown in because utility companies are offering an incentive for having the work done.
"Simply by the numbers of folks that are having it done, we are concerned about an increase in that type of fire," he said.
He said his office is working on a news release warning people to make sure they are contracting with a reputable company, possibly even checking with the Better Business Bureau to be sure. Homeowners should conduct a visual inspection of any work they have done.
"You want to have a reputable company do the job but then the homeowner has to take responsibility too," Morris said.
Damage to the Layton home left the family of six to seek temporary shelter with relatives. Officials estimated damage from the blaze at $85,000.
Bitton recommends that homeowners inspect their attics and ensure that they are within the guidelines on the government's Energy Star Web site to avoid finding themselves in the same dilemma.
Because the pipe gets hot, building codes usually require one inch of clearance from metal flues and two inches from masonry chimneys to any combustible material, including insulation, the Web site states.
The site instructs construction workers and homeowners to seal ceiling gaps around these flues with lightweight aluminum flashing and special high-temperature, heat-resistant caulk.
Before you push the insulation back into place, build a metal dam to keep it away from the pipe, it states.
But it's not only chimney pipes that can cause a fire hazard when coming into contact with insulation.
Ogden Fire Marshal Matt Schwenk said he hasn't noticed problems with the plumes in his city but said he has noticed problems with cam lights.
These are lights that are hidden in the ceiling with the heating elements sometimes in the attic.
"We've seen where the insulation has been blown over them," he said. "They are supposed to make sure the insulation is not covering the top of them."
Schwenk said it is a concern for fire departments when people are having insulation blown into their attics improperly.
"Are they covering electrical or other things?" he said.
Weber County Fire Marshal Ted Black echoed Schwenk's concerns.
"If your electrical components and your insulation are installed properly, you are fine," Black said. "It's when they are not properly installed, there is a problem."
Black said sometimes a fire can start in insulation and creep along to another location.
"It can burn for hours and sometimes days without being detected until it reaches an oxygen source, and then you have a flaming fire," he said.
Black said insulation generally doesn't pose a problem if installers take precautions.
"By and large the installation of electrical and insulation is done properly," Black said. "(Homeowners) do need to worry if they are doing it themselves. ... You do need to make sure you are doing it properly because it can cause a problem."
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