No injuries were reported following an early morning house-fire on Highgate Road.
The family of four had all gotten out safely before firefighters arrived around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
The parents had gone to bed and one of the two children spotted a glow around the chimney pipe, said fire prevention officer Paul Abernethy.
“IN this case, the fire extended from the chimney into the attic space, so it was burning above them; the only visibility was a glow around the chimney pipe where it went through the ceiling and they noticed that,” he said.
Abernethy said the fire caused extensive damage not only throughout the attic but in the living room as well.
Six pumper units and 25 firefighters were on the scene, and it took about two hours to get the blaze under control.
This time of year firefighters often see chimney fires, said Abernethy, adding people often neglect to clean their chimneys.
“If the chimney isn’t clean, that stuff is all combustible. It builds up in the chimney … it’s a fuel. The heat from the fire will ignite that fuel in your chimney,” he said.
