So we just moved into our home back in July and when we had a fireplace installed and they put in a gas fireplace, however it just has the fireplace area and then a gas rod in the center of it... we need someone to come in and install the burner and gas logs and what have you. HOWEVER... our builder told us that we could burn wood in that fireplace. I told my wife that that didn't sound right when he told us that.

Well apparently he told everyone that. So our neighbors they have the same fireplace setup as we have and they apparently did burn wood in it last year, no issues. Then we had a few days were it got really cold in January and he said that they burned wood in it then as well, no issues. Well on Sunday the wife was home alone and she said that she put some wood in the fireplace, lit it and she said about 15 minutes later the walls around the fireplace all exploded. She called 911, they came and found that there was no fire or anything. Gas was shut off to the house in case there was a gas leak.

Yesterday they were told that wood cannot be burned in that fireplace because the flume is not designed for wood burning. They were saying that the heat somehow built up pressure in the wall cavity and when it got to be too much... it exploded. Pictures below... pretty crazy situation and lucky that it didn't turn out to be a bigger explosion.