Firefighters extinguished a chimney fire at a residence on Highway 97 near Road 19 on Wednesday night. File photo
Oliver firefighters are reminding homeowners to ensure their chimneys are cleaned and that their wood stoves are installed correctly.
That was the message they left with after responding to a chimney fire just after 11 pm Wednesday night on Highway 97 near Road 19.
Deputy Fire Chief Bob Graham said they arrived at the residence to see some flames and a fair amount of smoke. He noted that firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly and then deal with the chimney that had a number of cracks in it.
Graham confirmed there was a lot of creosote build-up in the old chimney.
“The heat and fire came through the cracks and impinged on the wood structure,” he noted, adding it resulted in some damage.
Graham said the occupants were out of the house and no injuries were reported.
The moral of the story: “Make sure when you install your wood stove or pellet stove that it is installed correctly,” Graham said.
