The symptom
The hearth looks clean, but there are no inspection, cleaning or alteration records.
How to reason without overreaching
- Appearance cannot establish the condition of the concealed flue.
- Long inactivity can coexist with debris, nests, deterioration or undocumented changes.
- A general home inspection and chimney-specific inspection may have different scopes.
Reasonable next steps
- Keep the fireplace unused.
- Identify the appliance and chimney system.
- Arrange an appropriate chimney inspection and retain the resulting report.
Actual property conditions may change every conclusion. For immediate danger, leave the affected area and call emergency services.
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