Phoenix firefighters rescue boy who got stuck in chimney while playing with friends

PHOENIX – Phoenix firefighters rescued a 13-year-old boy who got stuck in a chimney Wednesday evening.

The boy was playing with his friends on the roof of an apartment complex’s community centre in the 2400 block of Hazelwood on the city’s north side about 7 p.m. when he fell into the chimney, Capt. Ardell Deliz said.

The boy’s friends called 911 and their parents, who were unable to get him out, Deliz said. The boy fell about 5 feet into the chimney, she said.

Shortly afterward, the fire department arrived, and the teen was pulled from the chimney by crews who lowered a rope to him and got him to wrap it around his arms, Deliz said.

The boy had minor scrapes and bruises from falling into the chimney but no serious injuries, she said. “He was just happy to be out of there,” Deliz said.

This is the third time this year that the fire department has had to pull people out of chimneys, Deliz said. The other two occasions were of adults locked out of their homes who tried to get in through the chimney, she said.

People need to be careful around chimneys or holes in the ground, she said. “We want to emphasize that this is not a place to play around in,” Deliz said.