Fire fighters were called to a chimney fire at a property near St Cleer on Friday evening. A team of six fire fighters were called to the building at around 5.30pm and used a thermal imaging camera, a stirrup pump and rods to extinguish the flames.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service says that due to the economic downturn and rising costs of gas, electricity and oil, it appears more people are using open fires and wood burners to keep their homes warm.
Between 2011 and 2012 fire crews attended 216 chimney fires across the county. The fire service says most of those could have been prevented and is urging people to take action to keep their homes safe.
The following advice has been issued by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service:
• Sweep the chimney before use
• Ensure a fireguard is in front of the fire at all times
• Sparkguards can prevent a serious property fire
• Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house
• Never use petrol or paraffin to light your fire
• Make sure you have a working smoke alarm and check it works regularly
It costs approximately £30 to have your chimney swept.
For more information on how to prevent chimney fires visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=7278
