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Firefighters climb to the roof of the home on Coopers Creek to put out a fire.
Bryson City Fire Department responded to a fire early on Thursday morning. The call for a structure fire came at 2:16 a.m. to a home located at 2664 Coopers Creek Road.
The smell of smoke awoke the residents inside, and no one was injured.
BCFD Chief Charles Bryson explained he believes there was damage in the chimney flue and it had been built against the siding of the house and the siding caught fire. “It was difficult to get to,” he said. “We had to cut out some of the roof and the siding of the house to get to the fire.”
The department was able to get to the fire before it spread and caused more extensive damage.
Bryson reminds area residents to take precautions against fires in their homes particularly when heating during the winter months.
“The main thing is to make sure at least once a year you’re getting the chimney looked at by a licensed chimney sweep,” he said of people who use fireplaces. This is so the chimney sweep can ensure there is no damage and to prevent build up that could cause a fire.
“The sweeps can take a camera and make sure everything is good,” Bryson said.
He also advises area residents to make sure they have working smoke detectors on every floor of the home and have working carbon monoxide detectors if they are using heat sources that are from natural gas or wood fired.