Chimney Creosote May Be To Blame For Pinnacle Country Club House Fire
Updated: January 2, 2013
A home in The Pinnacle Country Club area went up in flames on New Year's Day. More than a dozen emergency vehicles responded to the fire that the Rogers fire department believes could be caused by a problem in the chimney and flue.
"They were utilizing the fire place. They had experienced some questionable problems with odors throughout the day. It does sound like the fire erupted through the flue assembly and into the attic space," said Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins.
A similar situation in Lowell on Tuesday night forced a family out of their home. We're told flames that ignited in the flue, were caused by a build up of residue called creosote.
"Certainly if you have a wood fire place, you need to have it inspected every year. Make sure it looks okay," said Jenkins.
No one was hurt in either fire, something that Chief Jenkins attributes to one life-saving tool.
"Regardless of if you have a chimney, you need to make sure you have a working smoke detector, which in this case is what woke up the family and got them to get out," said Jenkins. "What's important is that people are reminded that fire affects everybody. Whether you live in a million dollar home or in standard housing. It kills people, it takes a lot of property and it's imperative that people take that seriously."
