If not for the sharp ears of a resident, a three-story house in Silver Shekel north of Breckenridge could have burned to the ground Saturday night. The man heard crackling sounds near the peak of the roof, and noticed that even though the fire in the insert was out, smoke continued to billow from the chimney. About 10 firefighters from Red, White and Blue Fire Department attacked the smoldering fire from the roof and the interior of the house, extinguishing it in about a half-hour, said Kim O Brien, public information officer for the department. The fireplace flue hadn t been cleaned in 30 years, and they were using it four times a week. Three to four inches of creosote, a byproduct of burning wood, had built up on the inside of the fireplace flue, O Brien said.
Creosote catches fire easily and burns hot.
We do burn a lot of wood up here. Exacerbating the problem was a ceiling smoke detector adjacent to the fireplace with dead batteries and a plastic bag of coals on the living room deck. Additionally, there was only one door from the outside to the top floor, and a metal grate walkway leading to it was loaded with firewood, which could have impeded firefighter access and allowed the fire to spread. Power lines ran to the house on the other side, prohibiting access with a ladder truck. Safety is your own responsibility.