Firefighters contain Zelie chimney blaze
ZELIENOPLE — Firefighters on Monday contained a chimney fire and prevented it from spreading to the rest of a house in the borough.
Firefighters from Zelienople, Harmony and Cranberry Township responded to 305 Hazel St. about 1:30 p.m. There were no injuries.
The fire was caused by a buildup of ash in the chimney, said Zelienople Assistant Chief Scott Garing.
The house, a one-story brick building, is primarily heated by a wood-burning stove, Garing said.
The fire in the chimney heated up the chimney’s bricks enough to cause one wall inside the home to be scorched, though the burning was contained.
The majority of the damage was cosmetic, he said.
Firefighters used chains and shovels to clear the burning soot from inside the chimney.
The likely cause of the fire was a lack of proper maintenance for the wood burner and chimney, Garing said.
“What usually happens is there is a build up in creosote in the chimney and it catches on fire,” he said.
A neighbor said that an elderly couple lives in the house and they got out safely and went to a friend’s house on the road.
