Tonganoxie — A flue fire destroyed a rural Tonganoxie home Wednesday night.
According to Leavenworth County Sheriff's report, the fire, which started about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, started in the chimney of a wood-burning furnace in the basement of a home at 25171 DeHoff Dr., about four miles southwest of Tonganoxie. The fire then spread to the attic and the roof.
Firefighters worked for roughly four hours before they were able to bring the blaze under control and then fought flare-ups for another hour after that.
Steve L. Smith owned the home, reports said, and three members of the Smith family escaped the home before firefighters arrived. No one was injured.
According to Lt. Darren Shepherd with the Reno Township Fire Department, the fire “basically burned it off,” referring to the house's roof. The house, a one-story structure with a walk-out basement, also sustained water damage, Shepherd said.
Reno, Stranger, Sherman and Sarcoxie township fire departments, as well as Tonganoxie and Lawrence city fire departments, responded to the fire call.
Comments
imastinker 5 years, 1 month ago
Hey guys - solid fuel furnaces and stoves need to be cleaned often! Fires happen due to improper installation or lack of cleaning typically.
In my time on a volunteer department in a rural area I saw lots of these. If you have a solid fuel stove or furnace you need to find a chimney sweep and use them at least every year.
alm77 5 years, 1 month ago
We have a wood burning fireplace and use it almost every weekend. Anyone have any recommendations for getting our chimney cleaned? About how much does this cost? Can we/should we do it ourselves?
otto 5 years, 1 month ago
There is a lot of questions that would need answered to be able to say whether you can do this yourself. Is it a masonry chimney? Is it lined with a stainless steel pipe? black pipe? Probably the best thing you could do is have a professional chimney sweep come out and inspect your chimney. Have it cleaned and watch them and ask questions. If you have a stainless steel pipe in good condition it is easy to clean. I clean mine myself about twice a year. I use my wood stove every day. It also depends on how safe it is to gain access to the top of your chimney. Some have clean outs that can be accessed from the ground.
budwhysir 5 years, 1 month ago
inspection is the key, the right wood combination with a properly maintained fire will result in a clean burn and the chimney does not get dirty. I inspect on a monthly basis and clean as needed
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