Chimney felling
Encyclopedia
Chimney felling is the practice of demolishing or "felling" a chimney
stack. The practice is considered by some to be a dying art. Modern health and safety rules now largely prohibit the practice in industrialized areas; the current technique is to pack explosives around the base of the chimney. It is now popular within chinas old industrial centres.
The UK's Fred Dibnah
, a steeplejack
, became a celebrity for his technique of chimney felling; lighting a large fire in the bottom of a stack and watching the chimney belching smoke.
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
stack. The practice is considered by some to be a dying art. Modern health and safety rules now largely prohibit the practice in industrialized areas; the current technique is to pack explosives around the base of the chimney. It is now popular within chinas old industrial centres.
The UK's Fred Dibnah
Fred Dibnah
Frederick "Fred" Dibnah MBE , born in Bolton, was an English steeplejack and eccentric with a keen interest in mechanical engineering who became a cult television personality....
, a steeplejack
Steeplejack
A steeplejack is a craftsman who scales buildings, chimneys and church steeples to carry out repairs or maintenance.Britain's most famous steeplejack was Fred Dibnah, who became a television presenter and minor celebrity as a result of his craft....
, became a celebrity for his technique of chimney felling; lighting a large fire in the bottom of a stack and watching the chimney belching smoke.