Press releases

Edina Fire Department responds to first fireplace fire of season

Edina, Minn., Nov. 17, 2008 –The temperature is dropping outside, meaning the chances of heating equipment-related fires inside the home are going up with the thermostat. So, it wasn’t surprising that the Edina Fire Department responded to the City’s first fireplace fire of the season over the weekend.

At around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, Edina firefighters responded to a report of a fire in the wall of a residence on the 6100 block of Arctic Way. Upon arrival, fire officials learned that the homeowner had started a fire around 11a.m. in an outdoor fireplace attached to the house. When the homeowner entered his basement several hours later, he encountered a cloud of smoke hovering in the air and more smoke billowing out of the wall near a fireplace that shared the same chimney as the adjacent outdoor fireplace he had lit earlier in the day. Upon peeling back wood paneling, the homeowner discovered the fire in the wall and called 911. Fire crews opened the interior wall and removed part of the outside fireplace to extinguish the fire. Damage was confined to the exterior wall and part of the fireplace, and the homeowner was advised that it was okay to stay in the house.

According to Edina Fire Marshal Tom Jenson, many older homes were built with wood framing actually touching the brick of fireplaces within the wall. Over the years, a chemical change can take place in the wood making it easier to ignite when over-heated.

”If you live in an older home and you don’t know the history of your fireplace, you need to limit the amount of time you let a fire burn, said Jenson. “It is also important to have your fireplace inspected annually by a qualified person and cleaned when necessary.”

For more information, visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call the Edina Fire Department at 952-826-0378.