Stubborn Blaze Keeps Firemen Coming Back Again And Again

Firefighters from Millwood and Valley Fire were called to a home at 3503 N. Dale on three different occasions late last week.

No one was hurt by any of the fires.

Early Thursday afternoon, Valley firefighters were called to check on smoke coming exterior woodwork surrounding the home’s chimney. Millwood fire chief Bill Clifford, who was also at the scene, said that creosote built up inside the chimney was burning. As a result, the chimney became too hot.

“When you don’t have it cleaned, creosote melts just like tar,” Clifford said.

Firefighters closed the chimney’s flue, and the smoke stopped. They also told owner Lori Stewart not to light another fire until the chimney and woodstove inside the home had been checked.

However, logs remaining in the stove reignited later that afternoon or evening.

When Millwood firefighters were called back to the house just after 8 p.m., they found that a smouldering fire had spread from the super-heated chimney bricks to adjacent timbers and insulation.

Firemen extinguished the flames - but they weren’t finished with the house yet.

The next morning, wires in the attic area near the chimney shorted out and caused a small fire. Millwood fireman extinguished that blaze just after 11 a.m. Friday.

“The heat up there may have entered the structure of the wire itself,” Clifford said.

Fire officials, who estimated damage at $15,000, said Stewart was staying with neighbors. She could not be reached for comment.