Fire prompts chief to issue public warning
By Kyra Hoggan
A fire in the Crescent Valley this afternoon could’ve had a tragic ending, prompting fire chief Glenn Leidloff to issue a public safety notice for local residents.
He said the fire department got the call at roughly noon, to attend a chimney fire in a wood stove. He said a resourceful and quick-thinking 14-year-old resident had managed to keep the fire at bay by packing snow into the chimney and the wood box, leaving only a minor fire for crews to douse. There was minor damage to the detached garage in which the woodstove was housed, and no damage at all to the residence.
Leidloff said, though, that this is just one of three chimney fires in the past two months, and he’s concerned that perhaps residents are unaware that the unusual weather of late (temperature fluctuations) can cause creosote build-ups in chimneys.
“I hope everyone goes and checks their chimneys,” he said, adding that a quick check for creosote build-up could prevent very serious fires.
“If people neglect or forget it, bad things will happen.”
