As sure as the first snows will eventually come to the High Country, the falling temperatures bring another annually occurring phenomenon: the chimney fire.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, Lansing firefighters responded to a call of a house fire on Big Horse Creek Road. Upon arrival, the volunteers found a chimney fire in progress.

"On Wednesday morning a report of a chimney fire and Lansing units were dispatched with truck 47 responding under the supervision of incident commander Jackie Reedy, myself and three other members," said Lansing VFD Safety Chief Richard Kirrstetter. 

"When we arrived on scene, we discovered fire shooting out the top of the chimney approximately five to six feet."

Kirrstetter said the cause of the fire was believed to be a build up of creosote in the chimney compiled with the fact that it was a very old chimney and flew.

"Luckily there was more smoke than fire, but that smoke was being pushed out through the masonry chinking between the bricks. We used our extinguisher on the fire source and dropped two chemical bombs down the chimney to get everything out. Once all visible signs of the fire were out we used our thermal imagery equipment to check for fire extension that might have gotten through the brick-work."

Kirrstetter said that it took quite a while to clear the house of smoke and to get all of the creosote out of the chimney and flew because they appeared to have not been cleaned for quite some time.

"Given all the factors for chimney fire danger at this home, where it was their primary heat source, it was very lucky for the residents that it didn't happen in the middle of the night when reaction times can be somewhat slower. As it was, we arrived just in time to avert a much more serious situation."

According to Kirrstetter, while this case appears to be one of improper maintenance and outdated construction, fireplaces and wood burning stoves, in general, need to be maintained properly in order to operate safely and bring the pleasant, and in some cases, the necessary heat source they are meant to bring. 

The first thing that needs to be done before using a fireplace for the season is to inspect the chimney and flew. Sometimes in the country birds, chipmunks and even bats can build impressive, chimney clogging nests that can be more than a little inconvenient.  Many companies offer screen systems that will be an effective barrier for next year. 

Once free of obstruction, the chimney needs to be cleaned of any creosote that may have built up during the previous year's use. The do-it-yourselfers who want to clean it themselves need to use a chimney brush with attachments to get down to the insert or fire box. Make sure to open the damper wide so the creosote that breaks lose will fall where it can be removed so it doesn't wedge behind the damper, which is a serious fire danger. If you can't or don't want to do the work yourself, there are professional chimney sweeps that can do the job.

Finally, have a plan in case you get a chimney fire or have other problems associated with your fireplace. You can buy emergency kits especially made for fireplace use and it is always smart to have a serviceable fire extinguisher on hand.

Kirstetter also wanted to remind residents to be safe with their live trees this holiday season and ensure that they keep a close check on the moisture levels of their live trees. Dry Christmas trees covered in hot lights are one of the top sources for home fires during the season.