Dirty flue sparks chimney fire in St. George home

St. George firefighters emerge from a home on 200 South after cooling off the chimney Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Six firetrucks and 27 firefighters responded to a chimney fire in a neighborhood near downtown St. George Monday evening.

Smoke and ash seep out of the chimney in a home on 200 South, Jan. 29, 2018, St. George, Utah | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

A woman living in the house on 200 South was burning wood in her fireplace when she noticed the home filling up with smoke shortly after 6 p.m., St. George Fire Capt. Tyler Talbot said. The woman was able to evacuate her home safely and called 911.

“The homeowner just got her fireplace a little too hot and when people don’t clean their chimney too often, that creosote builds up, and when that gets too hot, it can catch on fire,” Talbot said.

St. George Fire Department crews arrived on the scene and cooled down the chimney, but there were no out-of-control flames, Talbot said. The woman living in the home was uninjured and there was no damage to the structure.

Ash filled the air and neighbors gathered around the woman to comfort her, but the firetrucks soon left after the chimney was cooled down.

Gold Cross Ambulance also responded to the scene, but did not transport anyone to the hospital.

This was the first of two home fires St. George firefighters responded to Monday night, a later fire fully destroying a home on Donlee Drive.

Read more: Child alerts family members to fire in their home on Donlee Drive

This report is based on preliminary information provided by emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Twitter:  @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • Kyle L. January 29, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    I have never done it myself but I have heard that if you get a towel sopping wet, open the stove, throw it inside, and close the door that the steam will put out the fire. Anyone else heard that or done it?

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