I'll bet its clean now ! That is a scary event to have happen in ones home. I can imagine just the noise alone knowing its flame is enough to give you the heart pounder, same thing when you're about to shoot a deer way off in the distance, a person can get excited, not sure what you call that, Adrenalin or panic attack LOL ? I'm usually well relaxed when hunting, don't care what size horns or get excited, and if I do, I reset by taking deep breaths etc.
Reason I mention it, as I don't believe I had a chimney fire, but I loaded the stove in the basement one time, with dry elm, from the upper part of the tree, a normal amount both paper and wood to get started, but the stove was almost full of wood. What a mistake, the ensuing roar, and that flame going up the pipe, turns it orange, mine 90's above the stove and goes out the concrete foundation wall about 4 feet, then 90's up to the 8"x12" clay tile flue which is adjacent to a 24"x24" clay flue in the same chimney for one of the fireplaces, those never had creosote in them, just too big. I now have the flexible stainless 6" pipe from the inside 90 above the stove to the base of the clay tile flue and I will say one thing, put too much dry wood in, and at the back of the firebox, the flame will go right up the pipe to the 90 and beyond, turning that pipe orange in no time. The draft it creates is like a blast furnace and it roars just like one. I put another piece of stove pipe over that section, but did not close the seam, its like a heat shield, and protects that section from ever overheating the wood framing which is a safe distance with an air space, but what a huge difference that extra pipe makes, triple wall is most certainly what a person needs if no masonry chimney. I can still turn that pipe orange, but the 2nd "half pipe" heat shield dissipates most of the heat and you can place your hand above it and know you're safe. I think I hot cycle mine enough or it occurs often depending on how I first load the stove, once going I pull back the wood, being a top loader with a door on the front as well access is easy.
I can just remember that heart pounding cold evening, in the teens, full moon, and the steam rising straight up off the chimney, at first I was thinking panic !!! However, I knew better and remained calm, worked that damper to control the flame, cut the oxygen off, then stoked the fire back from where the pipe is.
I inspect this flue regularly, I've not had to clean it, just at the bottom, horizontal run where soot and trace amounts of creosote may settle, it amounts to a handful or so per season. Even when I have burned wood with higher moisture, than say 2 years seasoned, I'll mix dry wood in, or just make sure to keep that flue temp up, still nothing to take for granted, thankfully yours resolved itself, really odd when you take good care to clean and inspect and it still happens, going to check mine again today !