City of Madison firefighters rushed to the scene of a chimney fire this afternoon after a neighbor across the street from the home saw flames coming from the chimney.

The fire occurred shortly after noon in the 2100 block of Manor Green Drive. The family of five was home at the time.

The homeowner had just started a small wood fire in the fireplace when he heard a "whoosh" in the chimney. He checked it outside and saw a bit more smoke than normal, but was not concerned. It was a neighbor who called to tell him flames were showing. The family evacuated the home and called 911.

When firefighters from Station 7 arrived, they observed heavy grey/black smoke coming from the chimney.

Crews removed the spark arrester cap and used a dry chemical fire extinguisher to put out the fire within minutes, limiting further damage to the chimney and the interior of the home.

The home was ventilated and checked for extension with a thermal imaging camera (TIC). The company officer advised the homeowner to have the chimney inspected before using it again. Firefighters found a build-up of creosote in the chimney. There were no injuries. Damage was estimated at $3,000.