Creosote, soot buildup blamed for Henefer house fire

For the North Summit Fire Department it was a case of a supposed false alarm turning into the real thing over the weekend.

Department spokesman Tyler Rowser said Monday that firefighters were rushed to a home at 3145 N. West Henefer Road just after noon Sunday when a "general residential fire alarm" was activated.

However, the homeowner insisted there was nothing amiss and the call was cancelled.

Ten minutes later, though, the homeowner called 911 to report his home's basement was filling with smoke; a second alarm was issued.

This time, firefighters determined the origin of the smoke was a chimney attached to a wood-pellet burning stove. Crews doused the fire and ventilated the house while clearing the chimney of burning materials.

The homeowner, who had tried to handle the fire himself before the second alarm, sustained minor burns to his hand. He was treated at the scene.

Rowser said it was determined that the cause of the fire was a buildup of soot and creosote inside the chimney.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims