MFD: Chimney Fire on Meadow Lane May Had Been Prevented

Around 3 p.m Tuesday afternoon, Middletown Fire Department responded to a chimney fire that broke out at 167 Meadow Lane.

"Firefighters removed all burning material inside the wood stove and used the fire department’s new tower ladder to assess the top of the chimney, remove the cover and inspect the flue from above," said Fire Chief Ronald Doire.  

The resident was advised to have the flue cleaned and inspected before it was used again, said Doire.

According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the leading factor contributing to home heating fires, or 26 percent of the total, is failure to clean creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, which is found primarily in chimneys. The substance rises into the chimney as a liquid and deposits on the chimney wall.

Creosote is a sticky, oily, combustible substance created when wood does not burn completely.

NFPA estimates creosote fires are responsible for $33 million in direct property damage per year.

The Middletown Fire Prevention office advises residents to follow the recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and have their heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.