Fort Kent firefighters respond to chimney fire

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ST. JOHN – At approximately 8:04 a.m., the Fort Kent Fire Department responded to a chimney fire at the home of Jim and Lisa O'Malley that originated from a plugged stovepipe and chimney, said Fort Kent Fire Chief Ed Endee.

“We cleaned it and were out by 8:49,” he said.

Ten firefighters accompanied two fire trucks and the rescue truck to the scene of the fire. Endee said crackling sounds in the chimney first alerted the homeowners to the fire.

Lisa O'Malley said she was downstairs in their house where she operates her dog grooming business, when she first noticed the fire. The sole heat for the house comes from a woodstove in this area, although the house has a back-up oil system.

She said her first thought was simply to shut the woodstove down and wait to see if the fire went out on its own, but when she realized that it was her home at stake, she called the firefighters.

She repeatedly thanked the Fort Kent Fire Department on her and her husband’s behalf for the service they perform and the assistance they offer.

“These guys leave their jobs,” she said. “I was just so grateful this morning.”

On the NOAA.gov website, that organization reports the air temperature in Fort Kent during the incident to have been -17 below, with wind chills to -40 below.

“It's tough on firefighters to work on a fire in this weather,” Endee said. “And we have some wind today, which makes it worse.”

He said the extremely cold temperatures the area is currently experiencing is when many people discover the weaknesses in their heating systems as they turn the heat on or up.