Sorry, no help here. My recent install wasn't Honeywell, but we had to have the thermostat replaced a couple of weeks after installation because "sometimes they come bad from the factory".
I suspect it's still under warranty from the install and suggest you just have it replaced.
It happens. I'm guessing it's most likely at the start of a new run if the last run isn't completely cleaned out or a few get caught up in the machinery.
Not trying to argue for or against anything, but I do find a 1-inch wood standard a bit odd. In my personal experience, wood tends to burn, so I don't know how much protection it would provide against an external ignition. Maybe delay it a bit? Perhaps that's the intent, or to protect it from...