VIDEO: Firefighters check the roof and attic after there was a report of a fire showing — apparently from the chimney area of a home on Dunton Avenue.
Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 6:48 PM Sunday to a report of a roof on fire in the block of 600 North Dunton Avenue Arlington Heights, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that a roof was on fire. First firefighters on the scene reported nothing showing.
By the time firefighters arrived no flames were showing. The flames were apparently coming from the chimney.
Firefighters inspected the roof and interior attic space and found no signs of fire. Firefighters also used a thermal imaging camera and found no signs of fire or abnormal heat. Recent snow that was on the roof was not melted, which indicated no abnormal heat was in the attic.
The fire or embers were apparently visible before the firefighters arrived.
There was no confirmation from firefighters on the scene, but creosote, which can build up inside the chimney, is highly combustible.
Some slow-burning chimney fires don’t get enough air to show highly visible fire that can occur in other rapidly burning chimney fires, which can quickly ignite the roof and attic. However, the temperatures of slow-burning chimney fires are still very high and can cause damage to the chimney structure and can eventually extend to combustible parts of the house.
Certain conditions accelerate the buildup of creosote, including restricted air supply, burning of unseasoned wood and, and cooler than normal chimney temperatures.
Hazardous air supply restriction can be caused by keeping fireplace glass doors closed while there is a fire in the fireplace, and by failing to open the damper wide enough. These situation can slow the rate that heated smoke moves up the chimney. The longer smoke hangs in the chimney, the more likely that creosote build up inside the chimney occurs.
Slow chimney fires can crack and damage part of the masonry and mortar, which can expose fire or intense heat directly to the wood frame of a house.
Firefighters at the scene were not yet able to confirm the cause of the fire or the exact nature of the fire report.
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