Leverett, Mass. — November 6 —At 4:23 p.m. on Thursday, the Leverett Fire Department was dispatched to a suspected chimney fire after homeowners reported flames coming from their metal chimney. Lieutenant Visniewski, the first arriving officer, found light smoke conditions inside the home but no active flames visible from the exterior.

Additional units, including Deputy Chief and Acting Chief Rice, Engine 3, Utility 1, and several firefighters, arrived to assist. Using a thermal imaging camera, crews identified high heat readings in the wall surrounding the chimney near the attic space. After gaining access to the attic, firefighters found smoldering insulation and plywood, which they quickly removed and extinguished.

When the smoldering materials were removed, the multi-gas meter's readings of carbon monoxide (CO) in the attic area returned to normal. The homeowners' alert call and firefighters' quick response stopped the situation from spreading into a full-scale structural fire. In order to lower the risk of chimney fires, officials reminded locals to have their heating systems and chimneys inspected and cleaned every year, particularly before winter.