Central Fire District responds to two pellet stove fires in one week

RIGBY — Firefighters from the Central Fire District in Rigby have responded to two pellet stove fires just two days apart from each other.

Sunday’s fire

The latest house fire happened on Sunday after 10 p.m. at the 500 North block of 4107 East in Rigby. It was reported that there were still people in the house, according to a news release.

Central Fire District arrived at the house and found that all of the people were outside.

Firefighters found flames and smoke coming from a wall behind a pellet stove. The homeowner had partially pulled the pellet stove away from the wall and attempted to extinguish the fire, the news release said.

Firefighters knocked the fire down and then had to remove the back side of the wall to extinguish a fire that was hidden in the wall.

The fire was contained to one room in the house, and there were no injuries reported. The homeowner was monitored for smoke inhalation and denied ambulance transportation.

The estimated damage to the home is approximately $75,000.

“The homeowner told me, ‘I clean my stove regularly, but I don’t check the exhaust,'” said Fire Chief Carl Anderson.

Friday’s fire

A pellet stove also caused a fire that sent a Rigby man to the hospital on Friday. The fire happened around 5 p.m. When engines arrived at the home near 4400 East and 318 North, the house had flames on the main floor and in the basement, Anderson said.

RELATED | Homeowner hospitalized after attempting to put out blaze

The homeowner, who reportedly had used a fire extinguisher in the house and was trying to get inside with a garden hose, was kept from doing so by the responding fire officer.

There was considerable water, heat and smoke damage throughout the home.

The homeowner was transported by ambulance to a local hospital due to smoke inhalation. The estimated damage to the home was $300,000.

Same cause for both fires

“Both of (these fires), we looked at the exhaust. It looks like the exhaust wasn’t cleaned out,” Anderson said, talking about the pellet stoves.

Anderson said homeowners should consider regular cleaning and inspection of furnaces, fireplaces and stoves as the weather gets colder.

The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office provided wood and pellet stove safety on social media:

• Have a QUALIFIED professional install stoves, chimney connectors, and chimneys.
• Stoves should be listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
• In wood stoves, burn only DRY, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
• Have your chimney and stove INSPECTED and cleaned by a certified chimney sweep every fall just before heating season.
• CLEAN the inside of your stove periodically using a wire brush.
• Allow ashes to COOL before disposing of them. Place ashes in a covered metal container. Keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home and other buildings.
• Keep a CLOSE EYE on children whenever a wood or pellet stove is being used. Remind them to stay at least 3 feet away from the stove.
• Stoves need SPACE. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from the stove.
• INSTALL and maintain carbon monoxide alarms (CO) outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect the CO alarms. When one sounds, they all sound.

“Make sure they are clean. If it’s possible, check the exhaust,” Anderson said. “It never hurts for people to check their furnaces and change filters (too).”