Whether it's keeping small children away from the hot woodstove, making sure that all combustibles are a safe distance away from the lit stove, or performing periodic inspections, cleaning and maintenance of your stove, stovepipe and chimney, there is a lot to watch out for. The woodstove is the last thing I double-check before leaving the house each day in the fall, winter and spring. Chimney fires are generally caused by a buildup of creosote in your stovepipe or chimney. Creosote is simply unburned wood particles and condensed flue gases which deposit in the chimney interior. The denser and darker your smoke is, the more unburned wood particles are traveling up your chimney.
Dense smoke is inefficient.
To maximize efficiency of your stove, purchase one that has a combustor. A combustor is like a catalytic converter. It lowers the temperature that those unburned wood particles will combust at and allows them to ignite before they leave your stove. If your woodstove comes with an optional blower, I strongly urge you to purchase it. A blower is a small fan that attaches to the side or back panel of your stove.