A chimney fire on 17th Street on Monday night did not cause any injuries, but serves as an important reminder to residents to clean their chimneys regularly, according to fire personnel.
George Siegler, deputy fire chief of Grand Forks Fire/Rescue, said the fire on 17th Street was called in around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Fifteen personnel and three trucks were on scene for about an hour. Siegler said it was a “stubborn” fire, and took slightly longer than normal to extinguish. Three trucks is an unusually large response for a chimney fire, he said; the call had come in as a house fire, which would require a larger response. However, given the difficulty of the call, all personnel and trucks on scene were utilized in extinguishing the fire.
Siegler said he wanted to remind residents to have their chimneys cleaned regularly, as creosote buildup was a factor in this fire; residents should also be burning seasoned wood.