The Cortez Fire Protection District was dispatched to its second chimney fire this week on Thursday, Dec. 5, after a passerby reported six-foot flames pouring out of a chimney on Road 26. Fire Chief Jeff Vandevoorde said firefighters extinguished the flames using a chimney bomb.<\/p>\n
\u201cA chimney bomb is a bag of dry chemicals that we drop down in the chimney,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also had to use a dry chemical extinguisher,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
No one was at home at the time of the blaze, Vandevoorde said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThankfully, we caught it pretty early,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The first chimney fire of the season was reported at a South Market Street residence on Tuesday, Dec. 3.<\/p>\n
Despite the freezing temperatures, Vandevoorde said it\u2019s never too late to have a professional chimney service inspect and clean a chimney.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople need to be sure their chimneys are cleared,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Vandevoorde advised that chimneys corroded with creosote could easily catch fire. He said that once a chimney does catch fire, cracks in chimney seals pose a huge threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cChimney fires often lead to attic fires,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n
In addition to cleaning chimneys, Vandevoorde cautioned that every home should also be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the winter, everyone tries to seal their homes up tight,\u201d he said. \u201cA carbon monoxide detector is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n