ILLINOIS VALLEY, Ore. — As the weather continues to get colder, more and more people will be using their fireplaces, but they can be dangerous.
The Illinois Valley Fire District says a fire Monday night on Holland Loop Road started as a flue fire, but spread to the attic.
IVFD used a chainsaw to cut a hole in the back of the house to provide access to the fire.
It was quickly extinguished and no one was hurt.
Experts say it’s an all too common thing at the beginning of winter, and can be avoided by proper fireplace maintenance.
“There’s a lot of people that wait until its too late to where they’re either backing up smoke into the house or they do have a major flue fire,” said Ben Bansen, owner of American Chimney Pros, “which causes damage to their house, and it’s potentially really dangerous.”
Bansen said some tips to make sure your fireplace is safe is having it inspected and maintained annually, use well-seasoned wood and if you can’t remember the last time you had it checked, it’s probably time for another one.
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