ST. GEORGE — A chimney blockage from a wood-burning stove nearly caused disaster for one St. George family when their attic caught fire late Friday morning.
St. George City firefighters were called about 11:50 a.m. Friday to a home at 2624 South Little Valley Drive on a report of smoke and fire coming from the chimney. When they arrived, they did not find any fire within the house, but further investigation revealed a fire in the attic.
“Upon further investigation,” St. George City Fire Chief Robert Stoker said, “it appeared that what had happened is the stovepipe goes up through and then into a false chimney on the roof. So it looks like an actual brick chimney but it’s a wood-framed structure.”
Stoker added, “It looks like the fire originated up on top in that false chimney where the stovepipe stops, at which time it started those framing members on fire.”
That fire dropped hot embers down into the attic, Stoker said, which caught part of the attic on fire.
“Our main concern on these is to get the fire out and to contain it,” Stoker said, “But we also want to do the least amount of damage possible.”
The chief called out the 75-foot ladder truck and put firefighters on the steep roof. The firefighters extinguished the fire in the chimney, removed some roofing tiles to get into the deck and extinguish any hot spots there, and removed the stovepipe from the chimney.
At the same time, a crew in the attic was removing debris and controlling any fire there.
Stoker estimated damage to the home at around $4,000.
Two engines and a ladder truck were called out to the fire. Total time to extinguish the fire and make sure it was out was just under two hours.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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