There is no doubt that having animals in your chimney is a major annoyance. What some homeowners may not realize is that it can also be a potentially dangerous situation. Before putting home and family at risk, it is wise to consider having a professional remove any animals that may be living in the chimney.
The most practical reason to evict any animals living in the chimney is that they can potentially damage the chimney. Animals will build nests and engage in other behavior that can destroy the chimney, rendering it useless to the homeowner. In fact, many homeowners do not even realize that there is an animal living in their chimney until it stops working.
Another major issue with animals in your chimney is that they can actually cause a house fire. When an animal sets up camp in the chimney, it will quickly fill up with foreign material, such as animal droppings and fur. Not only can this cause an unpleasant odor, but it can actually cause a fire that will endanger everyone in the home.
Even if they never make their way out of the chimney, an animal can transmit potentially fatal diseases to the humans living in the home. A condition known as hisoplasmosis is carried in animal waste and can be life threatening to humans. People do not even need to come into contact with the animal debris because the illness itself can be carried through the air.
Having an animal living in your chimney is certainly unpleasant but it can also pose serious dangers to everyone in the home. They leave behind material that can cause a dangerous fire and may carry diseases that are life threatening to human beings. Even if they do not endanger the humans in the home, it is likely that they will cause serious damage to the chimney itself.