Doubt that's the main cause though... seems like a scare story. They always need a simple thing to blame. Bet most fires start with bad wiring or space heaters left on.

Ugh, tell me about it. Did you lose a whole section?

Tbh that steam roar sounds way worse than our old furnace just giving up.

But what if being too simple is actually the problem? Calling it "bacon grease" or "flammable gunk" makes it sound like a dirty oven, just a cleaning issue. My customers need to understand the specific science of a chimney fire to really respect it. If I just say "tar in your pipe," they might think a hot burn will clean it out, not realizing that's exactly what ignites it. I use a small model chimney to show how the flames jump and the tiles crack from the heat. You need the technical words like "stage three" and "combustible" because they signal this is a serious hazard, not just a mess. Dumbing it down can make a dangerous thing seem too casual.

Man, I feel that SO hard. I was in the same boat, convinced I would mess it up and ruin my whole kitchen. That first row is EVERYTHING, spending that time to get it level is the real secret they don't tell you. It's such a good feeling to step back and see it done, and know you saved all that cash. Total game changer for tackling other projects around the house too.