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Home » News & Events » 2012 » October » Woodburner fire

Woodburner fire

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) was alerted to the incident just before 9pm and three fire engines (from Droitwich, Redditch and Bromsgrove) were sent to the address.

Crews arrived to find smoke coming from a void at the side of the chimney and so removed the woodburner to help locate the source of the fire. Firefighters also used thermal imaging equipment, a chimney kit and two hose reels as they tackled a fire in the chimney, plus positive pressure ventilation fans to help clear the smoke.

Watch Commander Ade Taylor from HWFRS explained that the source of the fire proved difficult to locate. He said: “The house is thought to be around 600 years old and there were many hidden timbers and joists. We had to cut away sections of the wall to expose the beams and identify exactly where the smoke was coming from.”

Crews remained at the scene until the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 23 October) and a further re-inspection is due later today to confirm that there are no further outbreaks of fire.

WC Taylor urged people with woodburners in their homes to be sure to have their chimneys swept on a regular basis and to ensure that flues and chimney liners are well-maintained. Further advice on chimney safety is available at the Service’s website.