Chimney fire damages home
Staff writer
Trevor Smith’s home at 212 S. Cedar St. in Marion was heavily damaged between 11:30 p.m. Jan. 3 and 2 a.m. Jan. 4 by a fire that began in a fireplace chimney.
Firefighters from Marion, Hillsboro, and Florence responded to the fire.
Marion Fire Chief Chris Killough said he was proud of the work done by all the firefighters in putting the fire out as quickly as it was.
The fire started in the chimney and spread to the attic, Killough said.
Some fire came out a peak on the west side of the house, he said.
“We didn’t need a lot of water; we just needed a lot of manpower,” he said. “When you have an attic fire, you need to pull down the ceiling.”
Only the north half of the ceiling had to be pulled out, he said. The fire did not burn through the roof, Killough said.
“It’s got a significant amount of damage,” he said.
Emergency manager Marcy Hostetler gave the family comfort kits and blankets and notified American Red Cross.
It’s up to the homeowner to contact and communicate with Red Cross. She doesn’t know how much assistance the family may have received.
“The only one I spoke to was the homeowner, Trevor Smith,” Hostetler said.