HAMPDEN, Mass. (WWLP) – The Hampden Fire Department was sent to a chimney fire Saturday night.
Five people without a home after fire on Edgeland Street in Springfield
According to the Hampden Fire Department, the fire has been put out and there was no damage to the building.
This fire serves as a reminder that as the cold weather is approaching, it is important for residents to have their chimneys cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney sweep.
Mass.gov provides additional home heating safety tips that everyone should follow:
Chimney and Woodstove Safety
- You need a building permit before installing fireplaces, wood, pellet, or coal-burning stoves.
- Your local building inspector must inspect new fireplaces, and wood, pellet, or coal-burning stoves before they are used as required by the Massachusetts State Building Code.
- Allow for at least 36 inches of clearance around the appliance to prevent combustibles from coming into contact with a heat source. This is the 3-foot circle of safety.
- Solid fuel heating appliances cannot share a common flue with chimney flues used by another solid fuel, fossil fuel, or gas fire appliance.
- A qualified mason should inspect the chimney and flue before the stove is used and annually. Cracks in the flue or mortar joints can allow flames and heated gases to get into living spaces.
- Make sure the wood stove is three feet from anything that can burn.
- Do not burn paper in the wood stove.
- Put the fire out before going to sleep or leaving your home
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in 1953 by providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on X @WWLP22News, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
