New Kensington chimney fire prompts warning to ensure chimneys are clean
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New Kensington’s fire chief urged homeowners Tuesday to have chimneys professionally cleaned after firefighters responded to a chimney fire in the city.
Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said firefighters found a thick buildup of creosote — a flammable, tar-like byproduct of any burning wood — in the chimney of a house at 514 Riverview Drive after they responded to the call that came in shortly after 11 a.m.
The couple living there use a wood-burning stove to heat their house, he said.
“The guy, he swore up and down it was just cleaned not long ago. He might have cleaned where he could reach from the bottom up,” Saliba said. “The people who decide they want to use wood burners, they should get their chimneys professionally cleaned so they don’t have this problem.”
The National Fire Protection Association recommends having a qualified professional clean and inspect chimneys every year.
The couple that live in the house were home and not hurt, Saliba said. They had working smoke detectors throughout the house.
Firefighters from New Kensington, Arnold, Lower Burrell and Plum responded. They had to contend with below-freezing temperatures and freshly fallen snow, but no firefighters were hurt, Saliba said.
The homeowner tried to put out the fire from the bottom by spraying water up the chimney with a garden hose, Saliba said.
“He thought he had the fire out,” Saliba said. “Once we pulled in, there was fire coming out the top of the chimney. What was burning was the creosote buildup in the chimney.
“It was pretty thick,” he said. “Our guys hit it from the top with water from the nozzle. When they did so, a lot of that buildup came down into the ash pit.”
Firefighters also used a chimney fire suppressant, Chimfex, which snuffs the fire out by removing oxygen, he said.
The fire was contained to the chimney, Saliba said. There was mild smoke in the house, but it remained habitable.
The water that went down the chimney went out through a drain in the unfinished basement.
But because water got into it, the wood stove will need to be repaired or replaced, Saliba said.