| Box 8-9. At 0428 hrs, Stations 8, 10 and Ladder 5 were dispatched for a "Chimney Fire" at 394 Hoff Rd. Engine 81 (Lt. C. Harris) arrived to find a '1 1/2 story, single family, wood construction dwelling with nothing evident' and the crew began to investigate.
Upon investigating, the crew found that the stainless steel external chimney had heavy creosote buildup and was on fire. There was minimal smoke in the structure and the fire was contained to the chimney. Chief 8-1 (M. Cartwright) arrived and assumed "Hoff Road Command". Tower 3 responded in place of Ladder 5, but was placed in-service after it was determined there would not be a need for an aerial ladder.
E101 (Lt. M. Steele) used their crew to assist with ladder placement to the roof and cleaned out the woodstove. Caps and 'clean-outs' were removed to facilitate the removal of debris in the chimney and the crews from Engine 81 and Rescue Squad 8 (Capt. S. Keeney) used a 'chimney chain' and pressurized water extinguisher to extinguish the fire and remove burned debris from the chimney.
All units cleared the scene at around 0500 hrs. with no damage to the structure. The homeowner was advised to have a professional chimney service check the chimney before using the heating device.
With the cold weather season in full swing, everyone is reminded to insure that ALL of your heating devices are working properly. This includes furnaces, woodstoves/ fireplaces/chimney's and space heaters, no matter which fuel/electric method of operation is used. Make sure they are clean and free of dust and debris. Chimney's should be checked frequently, depending on how often you use them. Also, try to use dry woods to burn in woodstoves and fireplaces rather than fresh cut logs. Burning fresh cut or wet logs tends to facilitate a quicker build-up of creosote in chimney's
Also, insure that your smoke detectors and CO detectors are working properly. Change your batteries twice a year; they are free of dust and debris; replace detectors that are more that 10 years old; and that each level and bedroom have a smoke detector installed. |
