Chimney Fire Damages South Milwaukee Home

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approximately 8:48 this evening (Feb. 26), SMFD received a telephone call from the occupants of a two-family residence at 827 Blake Avenue reporting what they believed to be a chimney fire.  Upon arrival of SMFD units, fire was seen coming from the chimney and out of the attic through the roof.  All occupants were out of the building and accounted for.  While one crew accessed the 2nd floor and attic, another raised a ladder to the roof. Because of the extension of the fire, the level of response was upgraded to the Working Still level.  Due to simultaneous calls occurring at this time, the 128^th ANG Fire Department and the St. Francis Fire Department were unable to respond to this request. The Cudahy and Oak Creek Fire Departments, however, did respond to the scene and the Incident Commander determined this to be sufficient.  Interior crews extinguished the fire from the inside by removing an area of drywall around the chimney chase above the 2^nd floor fireplace while the crew on the roof extinguished that area and removed most of the charred material from above. Examination of the attic revealed charring to the roof structural members and plywood roof decking. No injuries were reported.  Upon examination, a large accumulation of bird nesting materials was discovered inside the false chimney box directly in contact with the steel chimney flue.  It appears as though the fire started in the nesting materials and extended to the wood structural members.