Chimney fire in Stella leads to blaze

A spreading chimney fire at a home in the town of Stella prompted assistance from three fire departments Monday afternoon, March 16.

“It was just a basic chimney fire, and when we showed up the fire had spread outside the chimney into the attic space … and spread outside into the rafters,” Stella fire chief Casey Crump said of the blaze at 4999 Spafford Road. “Upon arrival we extinguished the fire, and then we had to open up the roof to make sure we had the fire out … we were on the call about three hours.”

He said there were no injuries, with the family all safely out of the house when the firefighters arrived. However, damage to the house was “substantial,” with water damage to the interior. 

“Pine Lake arrived on scene about the same time we did, and then we had Pelican that came and backed us up,” Crump said. “We didn’t have to use any of Pelican’s resources; between Pine Lake and us, we were able to get it out with just the water from their Truck 1.”

Pine Lake Fire Rescue reported some difficulty reaching the scene on their Facebook page. 

“While en route we received information from dispatch reporting a section of Spring Road was impassable due to Road being drifted,” they wrote. “Pine Lake Engine 1 had to turn around and proceed to an alternative route.”

Also assisting on the scene were the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and EMS, and Wisconsin Public Service. In addition, the Red Cross offered assistance to the family. 

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].