Ivins Family safe after smoke detector sounds alarm

Firefighters respond to residence for flue fire, Ivins, Utah, Feb. 6, 2016| Photo courtesy of Ivins Fire Chief Randy Hancey

IVINS — Firefighters found smoke and flames coming from the roof of a residence after the homeowner was awakened by the smoke detector and called 911 early Saturday morning.

Wood burning stove and flue where fire originated from, Iviins, Utah, Feb. 6, 2016| Photo courtesy of Ivins Fire Chief Randy Hancey
Wood-burning stove and flue where fire originated in a residence, Ivins, Utah, Feb. 6, 2016| Photo courtesy of Ivins Fire Chief Randy Hancey

Just after 4 a.m. Saturday, a homeowner awoke to the sound of the smoke alarm going off, but was unable to smell or see any smoke. He began investigating and found no smoke or fire in the wood-burning stove located in the front room, but it felt very hot to the touch, Ivins Fire Chief Randy Hancey said.

The man called 911 requesting the fire department respond to check the wood-burning stove, Hancey said, and upon arrival firefighters observed light smoke coming from the eaves below the roof of the home.

Once firefighters gained entry, they found flames in the roof structure and tresses and began pulling down the ceiling materials to gain access to the area just below the roof on the inside of the building, Hancey said.

“Two fire trucks were called in from Santa Clara Fire Department at that point to assist with the firefighting efforts,” Hancey said. “Medical was also put on standby, in case there were any injuries,” he said.

Once firefighters gained access to the area they were able to put the fire out before it worked its way into the attic, Hancey said.

The fire was completely extinguished in just over two hours without causing any injuries to the residents or emergency personnel, Hancey said.  Additionally, the damage was limited to the upper portion of the residence, including the tresses, ceiling and roof structure, he said.

“Luckily, we caught the fire before it reached the interior of the attic,” Hancey said, “or we would have been looking at a much worse situation.”

It was determined that the fire originated from soot and ash buildup in the flue, Hancey said. Damage to the home is estimated to be between $5,000 to $7,000, he said.

“When firefighters arrived on scene, flames were already coming from the eaves of the home despite the lack of smoke inside the residence,” he said. “It would have been very easy for them to sleep through the first phase of the fire, and by the time they were awakened it may have been too late,” he said.

This family and their home was saved because they had smoke detectors that worked,” he said.

An inspection of the flue or chimney for soot and buildup should be completed annually, he said, in addition to checking the batteries in each smoke detector and making sure they are in good working order.

Ivins Fire Department and Santa Clara Fire Department responded to the scene. No injuries were reported.

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

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

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