RFC
11-23-2018, 09:39 AM
We had the luckiest Thanksgiving ever.
It was a cozy and warm early afternoon with a fire in the hearth and family all around. I was talking with my son's GF just as the turkey came out of the oven. Then I noticed embers falling into the fireplace. I ran outside and saw flame and smoke coming out of the top of the chimney above the second story of the house. Ran inside, told my family to douse the fireplace as I called the fire department.
Six Scottsdale fire trucks arrived in 5 minutes along with two FD support vehicles and two police cars to block off the street. While we stood on the curb for two hours, the brigade went into the house with hoses, axes and chainsaws. My insurance agent, who lives across the street, told me that the FD would likely take out the interior wall into the chimney box on both floors to stop the fire before it spread to the attic and interior walls.
I anticipated major damage and lots of water.
In the end, we lucked out and damage was minimal. The FD took off the top of the chimney with axes and cut two small holes (1 foot square) in the second story bedroom wall to confirm that the fire hadn't spread. No smoke or water damage. These guys were total pros and stopped the fire with surgical precision.
Speculation is that there was a nest on the chimney screen (f**king pigeons) that ignited and started the fire.
We then warmed up the turkey and sat down to dinner. There could not have been a better end to what could have been a disaster.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It was a cozy and warm early afternoon with a fire in the hearth and family all around. I was talking with my son's GF just as the turkey came out of the oven. Then I noticed embers falling into the fireplace. I ran outside and saw flame and smoke coming out of the top of the chimney above the second story of the house. Ran inside, told my family to douse the fireplace as I called the fire department.
Six Scottsdale fire trucks arrived in 5 minutes along with two FD support vehicles and two police cars to block off the street. While we stood on the curb for two hours, the brigade went into the house with hoses, axes and chainsaws. My insurance agent, who lives across the street, told me that the FD would likely take out the interior wall into the chimney box on both floors to stop the fire before it spread to the attic and interior walls.
I anticipated major damage and lots of water.
In the end, we lucked out and damage was minimal. The FD took off the top of the chimney with axes and cut two small holes (1 foot square) in the second story bedroom wall to confirm that the fire hadn't spread. No smoke or water damage. These guys were total pros and stopped the fire with surgical precision.
Speculation is that there was a nest on the chimney screen (f**king pigeons) that ignited and started the fire.
We then warmed up the turkey and sat down to dinner. There could not have been a better end to what could have been a disaster.
Happy Thanksgiving!