Fire service urge homeowners to act after series of chimney fires

Homeowners are being urged to get their chimneys swept after North Yorkshire crews had four call-outs to properties across the county yesterday.

A chimney fire spread to a rafter in the roof void of a house in Little Barugh in Ryedale at lunchtime.

Crews used small tools, chimney rods, hearth kit, 9 metre ladder and a thermal imaging camera to put out the flames.

The cause was believed to a build-up of soot in the chimney.

At the same time crews from Harrogate, Summerbridge and Knaresborough were dealing with an incident in the village of Burnt Yates.

It is thought that an old bird’s nest in the chimney had caught fire.

Meanwhile, crews were sent to report of a possible chimney fire in Great Broughton shortly before 6pm.

They found the flue linked to a wood burner was on fire and were able to stop it spreading by clearing about the void above the log burner.

Crews from Selby and York were sent to investigate reports of a house fire – but this turned out to be a false alarm.