The Town of Minto Fire Department is reminding residences to do regular maintenance on their fireplaces and chimneys after a residential fire related to a fireplace east of Harriston.
Yesterday at around 12:30 pm the Harriston station responded to a report of a chimney fire.
The fire started in the wall of the chimney and travelled into the attic making it difficult to suppress especially due to the harsh winter conditions.
Approximately 40 firefighters from 5 stations battled the blaze.
Minto Fire wants to remind residents about the importance of regular maintenance including:
- Clean your fire box after every fire
- Keep your chimney maintained
- Ensure no fuels (newspaper, tissues, blankets, kindling, etc.) are within 1 meter of the fireplace
- Use a fireplace screen
- Only burn approved fuels
- Never leave a fire unattended
- Position logs near the back of the fireplace
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home
- Keep a fire extinguisher nearby
They add that one of the leading causes of fires during the cold winter months is the fireplace.
