Fire Department

The Madison Fire Department was called to a home on the southwest side Saturday night after smoke from the fireplace filled the living room.
 
The resident reports lighting a pre-treated fire log about an hour and a half prior to the call to 911. After lighting the log, she closed the glass fireplace doors before stepping away to work on the computer.
 
She thought she had opened the fireplace damper, but it was still closed when she noticed smoke backing into her living room. She tried to open it but had some trouble. She then opened the fireplace doors, which caused more smoke to fill the room.
 
When firefighters from Station 7 arrived at 11:56 p.m., some made their way to the roof to inspect the chimney while others escorted the woman out of the house.
 
Engine 7 opened the doors to the fireplace and extinguished the log still burning inside. They opened the damper, and smoke began to exit up the chimney rather than inside the living room.
 
Firefighters determined there were no obstructions inside the chimney, but there was a metal cap at the top which could not be removed.
 
There was no smoke damage to the living room. The residents say the chimney had been cleaned last October.