FROM: Jerry Hanson, Deputy Chief DATE: January 2, 2007
For Immediate Release: North Pole, Alaska.
The North Star Volunteer Fire
Department and other local fire departments started off the New Year’s holiday
with a bang last weekend. A medical
call for NSVFD at 12:17 AM, January 1, 2007, started off the year, followed by
a request from the Steese Area Volunteer Fire Department (SAVFD) at 1:17 AM for
a mutual aid tanker to respond to 641 Steele Creek Road for a fully involved
structure fire. Two firefighters and
Battalion 3 from NSVFD responded to the scene to assist while other volunteer
personnel came in from home and helped staff Stations 1 and 3. This mutual aid crew returned to quarters at
approx. 3:00 AM.
That same morning at 9:50 AM, the North
Star Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a reported chimney fire at 1117
Acorn Circle, off of Peede Road. Two engines
and Battalion 3 from North Star VFD and a mutual aid tanker from Steese Area
VFD responded to this fire call. Engine
31 was on scene within five minutes to find a 30 by 70 foot wood frame
structure with nothing showing from the outside.
Firefighters met with the homeowner
who reported he called 911 immediately after hearing a loud rushing noise in
his chimney. The homeowner acted
quickly and shut off air flow to the wood stove and vented the house. There was a light haze inside the
residence. The homeowner then got out
of the residence and waited by the driveway for the arrival of the fire
department.
Firefighters made entry into the
residence and inspected the area around the wood stove. A thermal imaging camera indicated the
chimney pipe was very hot at 400 degrees F. Crews extinguished the fire inside the wood stove and also
laddered the building to cool the chimney pipe and to inspect the roof. The resident was advised to have the stove
pipe cleaned and inspected before using it again.
Finally, at 9:39 PM New Year’s Day,
firefighters responded to another reported chimney fire at 2782 Silver Street,
off of Lyle Road, off of Nelson Road.
Three engines responded and arrived on scene to find a 40 by 60 foot two
story house with nothing showing from the outside. The chimney pipe was found to be very hot and firefighters cooled
the stack pipe and the fire box. An
inspection verified the chimney fire did not extend beyond the stove pipe and
the occupants were advised to not use the wood stove until after the chimney
pipe was cleaned and inspected.
In addition to the above calls a
motor vehicle accident with injuries, a carbon monoxide investigation, and
several other medical calls rounded out the New Year’s Day holiday weekend for
the volunteers firefighters at NSVFD.
All in all a very busy holiday.
PREVENTION AND EDUCATION NOTE: the
fire department has investigated an increasing number of problems with possible
carbon monoxide in the residence and helped with solutions to the problems including
installing new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for free. NSVFD has an ongoing program of providing
and installing new smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors, for free, as an
ongoing community prevention and education program. For assistance please call the fire department at 488-3400. If you have an immediate problem always call
911 right away.