In today's world of uncertainty and downsizing of domiciles while preparing for difficult times, one industry has seen huge changes in demand, that is wood heat for tiny houses. One company saw this opportunity as a challenge very early on when the 2008 housing crisis shook the economy and the Seattle area was hit pretty hard.

That same company, Unforgettable Fire, has been at the forefront of this journey. The Kimberly Wood Stove was invented for this very reason as the inventor found himself living on a boat with his wife and stepdaughter with little money or prospects. As the winter set in, life became tough and heat sources like electricity or propane proved not to be a good solution for heating a boat. Propane as an example, created a ton of condensation resulting in mold and smelly cold bedding, and electricity meant having a generator running day and night. 

Then the thought of a tiny but powerful wood stove came into play and the Kimberly stove was born, out of sheer necessity.

The stainless steel construction and the separated secondary combustion chamber were the first of its kind, especially in the boating world which led to the engagement of the tiny house community and therefore the Kimberly model became very popular within these communities and internationally. The advent of container homes, Skoolies, all types of vehicle conversions, and the like, created even more markets for Unforgettable Fire products.

Here one can see the first redesigned Kimberly V2.0 fitted into a space other wood stoves could not utilize, due to clearance to combustible materials. While the stove looks the same as the original Kimberly, the upgrades to the interior of the stove have made it even more reliable than ever before, and an improved burn cycle ensures that rarely visible smoke comes from the chimney. This is very important for those wishing to be stealthy when living in urban settings or where wood smoke would likely annoy neighbors living in tight quarters such as RV parks.

It also ensures very low maintenance as many "tiny stove" models need their chimneys cleaned every couple of weeks to be safe. When the Kimberly model was first introduced and certified, its emissions were a nominal 3.2 grams per hour of particulate matter emissions, with a heat output of 40,000 BTU, and has been UL-listed ever since. The physical size of this stove is 25.5” tall with a 10” diameter, and sidewall minimum required clearances of only 6".

This container home simply could not have used a different stove with the lack of space for installation where Kimberly feels right at home. The chimney system is protected for travel and also has a nice guard system to keep "little hands" from making contact with a hot pipe.

The Katydid has found a great market share in homes as small as 500 square feet up to 2000 sq./ft. It has also been very appreciated in Skoolies that are too large for the Kimberly and in climate zones where 55,000 BTU are needed to overcome the lack of insulation and/or much colder temperatures. This picture shows the Katydid installed in a 1500 sq./ft. home, just before a winter storm that sent temperatures to around zero degrees F.

This powerhouse kept the home at 70-75 degrees with very little fuel used and no visible smoke emitted from the chimney. The EPA certification process gave this stove a 1.9 grams per hour rating, ahead of the 2020 emissions standards. As with all Unforgettable Fire products, no catalytic elements are employed for a long-lasting low maintenance, reliable stove. The physical size of the Katydid is 38" tall and 12" x 12" square.

Unforgettable Fire's latest offering is the Krikit wood stove.  The Krikit has a larger firebox for more heat output and a longer burn time. Again, there are no catalytic elements or visible smoke at the chimney top except for a few minutes after ignition. The physical size is 26" tall, 17" side to side, and 16" front to back.

We have yet to determine grams per hour emissions or BTU production as the stove has yet to go through UL listing procedures, but we estimate up to 70,000 BTU and grams per hour lower than the Katydids 1.9. The above photo shows the Krikit installed in the inventor's 1,500 sq/ft home at 3,600 feet in elevation. When winter temperatures got down to 3 degrees F, we celebrated a 70-degree differential that kept the house toasty warm.

Grams per hour of particulate matter emissions such as soot, and creosote (carbon) in my early years 1985+ stoves were not regulated and spewed up to 85 GPH and ran at or below 20% efficiency. The Katydid model runs at 1.9 GHP and 73% efficiency.

Other items of interest about Unforgettable Fire products and the company behind them have been the keen attention to detail, durable American-made construction, and domestic feedstock, as well as labor. But even more important is how the company takes the time to get to know each client and their specific needs. The company assists each customer through the entire process from deciding which unit will work best, to the chimney configuration required for his setup, and step-by-step instructions on the proper installation for his dwelling.

The staff at Unforgettable Fire actually answer the phone with a real human ready to serve the needs of clients because they know or have used our product for a long period of time. Lastly, the company ownership sees these products as far more than pretty or clean burning but survival equipment.

All three models can be used for cooking, baking with a Dutch oven, and producing hot water, whether for cooking or sanitation. This is because the inventor needed these things to survive living on a boat with his family of three, all his experiences of living off-grid and in unusual "housing" went into the design of his stoves.

Click HERE to watch a video of a Kimberly stove in action inside an RV.

To learn more about Unforgettable Fire products, go to www.unforgettablefirellc.com