A Graham Boulevard home in Wilkinsburg had a fire Wednesday morning and another fire response early Thursday, Nov. 12. No injuries were reported in either incident.
WTAE reported that firefighters were called back to the Allegheny County address around 2 a.m., less than a day after the first fire.
How Crews Reached the Chimney
During the Thursday response, crews cut an opening in the roof to direct water into the chimney area, according to WTAE.
Heating Fires and Prevention
Nationally, confined fires in chimneys, flues or fuel burners accounted for 77% of residential building heating fires from 2017 to 2019, the U.S. Fire Administration reported. Those figures do not establish the cause of the Wilkinsburg fires. For general prevention, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency recommends having chimneys and vents professionally cleaned and inspected each year. A Red Oak Fire Rescue overhaul procedure says crews search for hidden fires or hot spots and extinguish them to prevent rekindles. That describes a general fire-service practice; it does not establish why firefighters returned to the Graham Boulevard home.
