Get chimneys swept plea following four local chimney fires since Sunday
The plea comes after firefighters tackled seven chimney fires in Newbury, Thatcham and the surrounding area in the past couple of weeks - including four since Sunday (April 7).
Two chimney fires on Sunday included a 3am blaze that escalated from the chimney to a first floor bedroom in a three-storey manor house in Crookham Common Road, Brimpton, tackled by pumps from Newbury, Mortimer and Tadley. No-one was hurt but the building was five per cent damaged.
Newbury Fire Station was also alerted around midnight the same day to a chimney fire in Paynesdown Road, Thatcham, confined to the flue of a house.
On Monday (Apr 8), a retained crew from Hungerford tackled a 5.49pm chimney fire at a house in Swithins Close, Wickham, extinguished by 6.40pm.
At 7.33pm the same day, Pangbourne Fire Station retained firefighters tackled a further chimney fire at an Ashampstead Common house, extinguished by 8.22pm.
These followed three other chimney fires in the past couple of weeks, including one at a house in Kings Road, Newbury on March 19, which followed another at a Newport Road house in Newbury the day before (March 18) and further chimney fire on March 24, at a semi-detached house in Mount Road, Thatcham.
Following recent arctic temperatures, causing householders to pile fuel onto open fires, firefighters advise having chimneys swept at least twice a year, including prior to lighting fires, at the onset of winter and then once more, towards the end of the winter season, when soot and debris have built up in the flue.
Extra fuel placed on fires, due to lengthy cold spells, can cause a build up of soot in chimneys, liable to catch fire.
For more information about chimney fires visit the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website: http://www.rbfrs.co.uk/pdfs/cs-08-fs-winter.pdf.