Fire officials urge safety

Inspections suggested for home heating appliances

August 28, 2006

By MARY AMES/Frontiersman

MAT-SU - A fire off Fairview Loop on Aug. 15 was caused by an improperly installed stove pipe, as was another one the day before, at a Pine Street residence in Cottonwood Shores.

In both homes, the residents used the same heating systems last winter, and were just plain lucky, according to Jack Krill Jr., chief of Central Mat-Su Fire Department.

Before people fire up their heating sources again for the winter, they should have a complete inspection, he said.

&#8220Heating appliances, typically, we recommend having them checked out by a professional,” Krill said. &#8220Usually, they are off all summer. People don't need fireplaces a lot. But they should be inspected and serviced annually, for fires and carbon monoxide.”

The Pine Street fire was caused by a zero-clearance fireplace that vented straight out the back of a wall, Krill said, and there were gaps between the vent pipes within the wall. Although the residents used the fireplace all last winter, they noticed the mantle would get hot enough to melt plastic. The exhaust gases dried out the wood in the walls and when the fireplace was lit this time, it started the house on fire.

&#8220It was the first time they burned it this season,” he said.

An off-duty Anchorage firefighter, Kevin Logan, cut a hole in the chimney chase and doused the fire with a garden hose before firefighters from Central Mat-Su arrived, Krill said.

The fire on Lookout Drive, off Fairview Loop, was caused by improperly installed pipes on a wood stove. Krill said the pipes were three inches short from touching the top of the roof, with just a cap on top of the roof.

&#8220They used the wood stove over last winter, and it deteriorated lots of wood,” he said. &#8220It caught the attic on fire.”

Fortunately, some people nearby got to the fire with fire extinguishers, he said.

Both homes were saved, but a rental cabin with a space heater on Tidal Way caught fire within the same week and was a total loss, Krill said. The renters were away, and the space heater tripped a circuit breaker.

&#8220Be very careful,” Krill said. &#8220Especially with portable appliances. Have them inspected for leaks or other things that would cause a problem.”

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not just mandatory, they can save your life, he said.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.