Chimney fire hot enough to crack bricks

Published Date

BELMONT — Firefighters from Belmont and Gilmanton extinguished a stubborn chimney fire yesterday afternoon at 497 Brown Hill Road that was so hot it cracked the liner and bricks.
Belmont Lt. Fred Greene said the call came in at 4:49 p.m. from the homeowner while crews were returning from a medical call.
He said firefighter found a two-story chimney with a wood stove in the basement were burning "from top to bottom" when they arrived.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in the wood stove and the chimney. He said they checked to see if the fire had extended into the home and it had not.
Greene said the fortunately the homeowner was home and realized immediately that he had a fire. He tamped down the damper, called 9-1-1, and left the house.
"We are very glad he was there and that this didn't happen in the middle of the night," Greene said.
Greene said the fire was in a rural section of Belmont that doesn't have municipal water but not a lot of water was needed.
He said the house is inhabitable and the family has a back up alternative heat source.
A total of eight Belmont firefighters and four Gilmanton firefighters responded to the scene. No one was injured.