Firefighters tackle chimney fire blaze in Penycae

Firefighters from Wrexham have tackled a chimney fire blaze in Penycae.

Crews were called to the incident shortly after 8pm on Wednesday 6 March.

Upon arrival a thermal imaging camera showed a temperature reading of 50 degrees.

Crews used chimney rods to try and extinguish the fire, but due to its location we had to gain access two feet into the wall.

A spokesperson for Llangollen Fire Station said “A technical rescue unit from Wrexham was called to the scene as this has specialist equipment to deal with these kinds of incidents.

“Once through the wall the temperature spiked to 520 degrees. Crew extinguished the fire behind the chimney breast with a hose reel jet.”

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have issued the following chimney fire safety advice:

• All chimneys and flue-ways should be cleaned and checked to ensure they are free from debris and in full working order before the heating season.
• A blocked or defective chimney can cause both chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, so it’s very important to employ a professional qualified chimney sweep certified by the National Association of Chimney Sweeps.
• Regular maintenance of your chimney will depend on the fuel you burn – if you burn oil or gas, your chimney should be swept once a year, Bituminous – coal twice a year, wood up to four times a year and smokeless coals at least once a year.
• Do not burn wet wood
• When thinking about heating your home, it’s important to purchase the correct size appliance for your room – an appliance which is too large will never be used hot enough to volatize all of the fuel within the wood and unburned fuel will pass up the chimney as smoke and condense within the flue as extremely flammable creosote.

Picture: Llangollen Fire Station Facebook