Chimney fire forces family out of home
Fort Smith house suffers significant damage in blaze, couple and three children living in rental accommodations
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 16, 2013
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
An early-morning fire has forced a family of five out of their home in Fort Smith.
"The fire was caused by the chimney," Fire Chief Wes Steed of the Fort Smith Volunteer Fire Department told News/North. "Whether it was a breach in the chimney or creosote, I couldn't confirm that for you."
The call came into the fire department at about 2:15 a.m. on Dec. 6, and firefighters were quickly on the scene.
Steed said there was "significant damage" to the bungalow on Ptarmigan Street, and it is currently in an unlivable state.
No one was injured in the incident.
Steed praised the 11 firefighters who fought the blaze in temperatures dipping below -30 C.
"The fire crew that came out for that call did a fantastic job," he said. "We used a minimal amount of water. We were able to contain the fire to an addition to the house, and the majority of the structure had smoke damage and those kind of things. We were able to keep the fire to a minimum."
Steed said the fire got outside of the chimney and into the rafters of the structure, and it was contained to the attic.
"The original structure of the house is in pretty good shape, but we had to tear down insulation and the ceiling because the fire got up into the rafters of the addition," he said. "So we had to go in through the eaves and spray some water in there."
Steed particularly praised the firefighters for their salvage operation, explaining that before they started tearing down the ceiling to look for spreading flames, they moved all pictures, a television and personal belongings out of the area.
"Those are the things you can't replace," he said.
Mayor Brad Brake also praised the firefighters for their efforts.
The mayor said he went to the fire hall last week to personally thank the firefighters for heading out in the middle of the night to combat the fire in harsh conditions.
The house was occupied by a couple and their three children.
Steed, who happens to live right next door to the fire-damaged house, said the displaced family is staying with friends and relatives, and they have found a rental unit in which to live.
"They're going to be OK for the time being, and they hope as things warm up they can look at what the insurance company will do," he said.
Steed said he had no estimate of the cost of the damage.
The fire chief also issued a warning for everyone about the danger of chimney fires, noting they are very common at this time of year when many people are using wood stoves.
His advice is that people clean chimneys properly, and have them serviced and inspected.
"You can't just keep burning hot fire inside a wood stove without having that chimney taken apart and looked at now and again. It's important to get that done," he said.
Steed also advised homeowners to use dried wood as opposed to wet, green wood to reduce the probability of creosote buildup.
Plus, he said people should make sure they have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in their homes.
