Chimney Fire Threatens Calpine Home

CALPINE — At approximately 4:35 PM on Thursday, November 7th, 2024, Vinny Del Barba noticed smoke coming from the gable vent of a single-family home on Main Street in Calpine. He immediately reported it to Sierra County Fire Protection staff, who were in a meeting at the Fire Station in Calpine. Volunteers responded with a command vehicle and engine and were on the scene within minutes. As Chief Connolly sized up the fire, he had Sierra County Sheriff’s Dispatch tone out the rest of the District members. A second District engine from Sierraville responded, as did an additional member who was heading to an Emergency Medical Technician class in Loyalton. An engine crew from the Forest Service also responded, but was canceled en route. Tahoe National Forest Chief 2 responded and offered personal support to the volunteers.

Early notification by Calpine residents and a short response time enabled the crews to quickly knock down the fire with minimal water and damage to the structure. The metal roof was opened with a rescue saw, and overhaul (removing all the charred and smoking material) was completed through a hole in the roof from the attic, further limiting the damage to the structure’s interior. Damage to the home was limited to the roof and chimney. Smoke damage was mitigated with a positive pressure blower, and water damage was mitigated with salvage tarps.

“Annual cleaning of your stove pipe or chimney goes a long way to preventing such incidents. This should be done at least once a year. Most likely, this chimney has had a fire in the past, possibly unbeknownst to the residents, which made the structure more susceptible to a fire of this type,” says Sierra County Fire Protection District Chief Mick Connolly.