Highlands Fire & Rescue responded to a call of a chimney fire in early November at Highlander Mountain House shortly after midnight. Using a ladder truck, firefighters extinguished the fire before any damage was done to the building located at 3rd and Main streets.
HFR parked a ladder truck in the rear of the building to access the chimney.
HFR Assistant Chief Robbie Forrester said chimney fires can spread quickly throughout a structure, so guests were asked to evacuate their rooms as a precaution.
Guests at Highlander Mountain House had to wait outside for a short time while firefighters put a small chimney fire.
The call was made by a Highlands Police officer who saw flames coming from the hotel’s chimney. HFR positioned trucks on either side of the hotel, including backing a ladder truck into HMH’s parking lot to access the chimney.
Backing a ladder truck into a packed parking lot at Highlander Mountain House is a tight squeeze.
HFR firefighters climbed up to the roof and dropped extinguisher bags into the chimney to put out the flames. Extinguisher bags are zip lock bags filled with extinguisher powder. When dropped into a hot chimney, the heat melts the plastic and the powder is released.
HFR firefighters drop extinguisher bags to put out the chimney fire.
The bags minimize damage as opposed to blasting a firehose down a chimney.
The chimney is part of a fireplace that HMH keeps consistently lit throughout the year. Forrester said this is a good reminder to have your chimney cleaned.
Pictured at the top of the article from left are HFR Firefighters Travis Brooks and Jason Tardo.
Article and photos by Brian O’Shea
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