Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Kamloops fire officials issue warning after chimney fire badly damages home

Kamloops fire officials issue warning after chimney fire badly damages home | iNFOnews.ca
A wood stove fire at a home on the Westsyde in Kamloops has the fire department issuing a warning about the dangers of burning wood for heat. SUBMITTED/Kamloops Fire Rescue

Kamloops Fire Rescue is issuing a reminder about proper care of chimneys and wood burning appliances after a fire left behind severe damage to a Westsyde home this week.

Fire inspector Kevin Cassidy says at about 11 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, a fire started in the attic above a wood stove and is believed to have been caused by heat or sparks from the chimney.

"The homeowner could see the glow between the chimney and the attic space alerting her (to the fire)," Cassidy says. 

Cassidy says the fire was contained to the attic, however fire crews had to pull much of the ceiling down to ensure the fire was extinguished.

And while Cassidy says the wood stove was professionally installed in this case, he's advising homeowners to ensure their chimneys are set up professionally as well.

Here are some other tips from Kamloops Fire Rescue:

  • Ensure chimneys are serviced and inspected once a year.
  • Ensure clean dry wood is being burned.
  • Ensure there are no potential combustibles near by.
  • Use screens in front of wood burning appliances to protect young children.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Darren Rathwell or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tags
Darren Rathwell

Darren Rathwell

Whether it be print, broadcast, or online, Darren's journalism career has spanned several years and three provinces, most recently as a news producer at GlobalBC. A change of experience was in order however, and a return to his roots as a community reporter is an opportunity Darren had to seize; allowing him to bring light to important issues with an 'on the ground' approach. For a fair and balanced look
at your story, you can reach Darren at (250)819-6089 .

Related Articles