FC Box 17-23. At 1430 hrs, Engine 81 and Paramedic 89 were dispatched to assist Frederick County Station 17 (Libertytown) for a "Chimney Fire" at 9375 Clemsonville Road. First arriving Frederick County "Duty 17" advised the residence was located back a long lane and that fire was showing from the chimney with no apparent extension. After making contact with the residents, he confirmed the intial radio report. FC Engine 172 proceeded back the lane while all others were staged on the road.

Engine 81 was directed to the scene, from staging, to assist FC Engine 172's crew with fire extinguishment. A handline was stretched to the front door, but the initial knock-down of fire in the stove was with a dry chemical extinguisher by FC Engine 172's crew. Positive Pressure Ventilation of the residence was established while crews removed burning debris from the stove and access was made to the chimney by removing the stove and fireplace coverings.

The interior crew established that the chimney pipe was almost completely "choked" with heavy fire in the pipe. Using a pressurized water extinguisher, the fire was slowly extinguished while the crew began clearing the burning debris from the pipe. Another crew was assigned to the roof to assist with clearing the chimney pipe of debris with a "chimney chain".

After about 45 minutes, the pipe was cleared and the fire was completely extinguished without any extension into the structure. Moderate damage occurred to the chimney pipe assembly. It was determined that the resident had used paper to start the fire in the stove and the pipe had not been cleaned prior to use. Burning paper going up the chimney pipe clogged the pipe and subsequently started a fire in the creosote clogged chimney.

No injuries were reported and units cleared after about 1 hour.

Chimney Fire Prevention Tip: Home and Business owners should take every precaution to insure the safe use of wood stoves and fireplaces. During fall and winter month's, the use of wood stoves and fireplaces is prevalent in our area as an alternative cost saving measure in-lieu of hydrocarbon heating sources.

Precautionary measures include insuring the wood stove or fireplace is clean and undamaged. Items to check include the inspection of firebricks; inspection of the brick walls in the fireplace; wood stoves are sealed with no broken welds or severe distortions in the metal; all components of the wood stove function properly (vents, feeders, drafts/damper, etc); pipes and/or chimney flues are clean and free of built-up debris; insure that chimney pipes are securely fitted with no missing screws or damage at pipe joints; insure that there are no flammable products touching any parts of the stove or chimney pipe; insure dampers operate freely and have no debris at pivot points; and chimney caps are secured and spark arrestors in-place. This should all be completed before you first use and at the end of the season, at least. For those who use these heating sources more frequently, complete inspections should be conducted more frequently (weekly/monthly). If damage is found, fix it immediately, before using the heat source.

For more tips on fire safety, visit our "Fire Prevention Tips" page in the 'Public Information' section of our website.