Emergency Chimney Service in Plainfield, IL

Some chimney problems can wait for a scheduled visit. Others cannot. A fire in the flue, a carbon-monoxide alarm, smoke filling the room, or a chimney that has suddenly cracked or shifted are safety emergencies — and Central Chimney Service responds to them across Plainfield and the surrounding towns, seven days a week. This page walks through the five most serious chimney and fireplace emergencies: how to recognize each one, what to do in the moment, and how we make it safe again.

First, the rule that overrides everything else: if there is an active fire, or if a carbon-monoxide alarm is sounding or anyone feels dizzy, nauseous, or confused, get everyone outside and call 911 immediately. Once people are safe, call us to inspect and repair the chimney before it is used again.

1. Chimney Fire

A chimney fire is burning creosote inside the flue. It can be dramatic — a loud roar like a freight train, dense smoke, and flames or sparks shooting from the top — or it can be quiet and slow, doing serious damage to the liner without you ever seeing a flame.

Warning signs: a loud cracking or roaring from the chimney, thick smoke, a strong hot smell, flames or sparks at the chimney top, or pieces of hot creosote falling back into the firebox.

What to do now: get everyone out of the house, call 911, and if you can do it safely, close the fireplace doors or damper to limit air. Do not light another fire. How we help: after a fire, a flue must be fully swept and given a detailed internal inspection, because the heat often cracks liners and lets the next fire reach the home’s structure. We find that damage and tell you exactly what it takes to make the chimney safe again.

2. Carbon Monoxide (CO) Leakage

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning wood, gas, or oil. A healthy chimney carries it safely outside; a blocked, cracked, or backdrafting flue can let it build up indoors, where it is genuinely dangerous.

Warning signs: a carbon-monoxide detector alarm; headaches, dizziness, nausea, or drowsiness that ease when you leave the house; a lazy yellow flame instead of a crisp blue one on a gas appliance; or soot, staining, or moisture around the fireplace.

What to do now: get everyone into fresh air outside immediately, call 911, and do not go back in or use the appliance until it has been checked. How we help: we trace why CO is entering the home — a blockage, a cracked liner, a poor draft, or a venting fault — and correct it so your fireplace or gas unit vents the way it should.

3. Severe Flue Blockage

The flue has to stay clear for a fire to draw and for gases to leave. A sudden blockage traps smoke and carbon monoxide inside the home and can turn a normal fire dangerous in minutes.

Warning signs: smoke that will not rise and spills into the room, a fire that will not stay lit, a strong smoky smell, a CO alarm, or visible debris — twigs, leaves, or a nest — in the firebox. Birds and small animals are a common cause, and so is a collapsed clay liner.

What to do now: put the fire out, open windows to clear smoke, and stop using the fireplace. How we help: we run a camera up the flue to find exactly what is blocking it, clear it, and check that the liner underneath is intact before you burn again.

4. Smoke Backdrafting

Backdrafting is when smoke, instead of going up and out, rolls back down the flue and into your living space. Beyond the mess and the smell, that same reversed airflow can carry carbon monoxide into the home.

Warning signs: smoke pushing into the room when you light a fire, soot marks spreading above the fireplace opening, a persistent smoky odor, or fires that never seem to draw properly. Causes include a deteriorated or wrong-sized liner, a blockage, a cold flue, or negative pressure from tightly sealed modern homes and exhaust fans competing for air.

What to do now: stop the fire, open a nearby window to relieve the pressure and vent the smoke, and do not keep burning. How we help: we diagnose the real cause — draft, liner, blockage, or household air pressure — and fix it, which often means clearing or relining the flue so it drafts correctly.

5. Sudden Structural Damage

Masonry chimneys are heavy and exposed to the weather, and sometimes they fail suddenly — after a strong storm, a lightning strike, an impact, or simply years of freeze-and-thaw finally giving way. A damaged chimney is both a collapse hazard and a fire hazard.

Warning signs: a chimney that looks like it is leaning or pulling away from the house, cracked or fallen bricks, large gaps in the mortar, a tilted or broken crown, or daylight visible through the masonry. Cracks in the flue after an impact are especially serious because they let heat and gases reach the structure.

What to do now: keep people and pets away from the base of the chimney inside and out, stop using the fireplace, and call us to assess it. How we help: we evaluate how serious the damage is, make the chimney safe, and carry out the masonry repair or rebuild needed to restore it.

While you wait for us

• If anyone has symptoms of carbon-monoxide exposure, or there is an active fire, call 911 first — people before property, every time.
• Stop using the fireplace or appliance and do not relight it until we have inspected it.
• Open a window or door to clear smoke, but do not fan or feed a chimney fire with more air than you must.
• Keep clear of a cracked or leaning chimney, inside and outside the home.
• Write down or photograph what you saw — it helps us diagnose faster when we arrive.

Emergency chimney service FAQs

Do you offer emergency chimney service in Plainfield?

Yes. We serve Plainfield and the surrounding towns seven days a week, 7am to 7pm, and we treat chimney and fireplace emergencies as a priority. Call (815) 305-5510 and we will get to you as quickly as we can.

What counts as a chimney emergency?

A chimney fire, a carbon-monoxide alarm or CO symptoms, smoke backing up into the home, a sudden severe blockage, or visible structural damage such as a leaning chimney or fallen bricks. Anything that risks fire, carbon monoxide, or collapse should be treated as urgent.

What should I do during a chimney fire?

Get everyone out of the house and call 911. If you can do it safely, close the fireplace doors or damper to starve the fire of air. Do not use the fireplace again until the flue has been swept and inspected for damage.

My carbon-monoxide alarm went off. What do I do?

Get everyone outside into fresh air right away and call 911. Do not re-enter or use the fireplace or gas appliance until it has been inspected, because CO is colorless and odorless and you cannot tell by looking that the air is clear.

Why is smoke coming back into my house?

That is backdrafting, usually caused by a blocked or deteriorated flue, a cold chimney, or negative air pressure in a tightly sealed home. Stop the fire, open a window, and have the flue checked, as the same reversed draft can also pull carbon monoxide indoors.

Can I use my fireplace after a chimney fire?

Not until it has been professionally inspected. Chimney fires often crack the liner, and a cracked liner lets the next fire reach the structure of your home. A full sweep and internal inspection confirm whether it is safe or needs repair.

How fast can you come out for an emergency?

We prioritize emergencies and respond as quickly as we can, seven days a week during our 7am to 7pm hours. Call us and we will give you the soonest available time rather than a vague promise.

What does emergency chimney service cost?

It depends on what the problem turns out to be, and we always confirm the price with you before any work begins. You can see our standard starting prices on the pricing page, and there are never hidden charges.

Written by James Rodriguez, founder and operator of Central Chimney Service. A Plainfield native with 29 years in the trade, James and the team work to the NFPA 211 fire-safety standard on every call.

Published October 20, 2026