Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were sent to an apartment building near 8th and G for a chimney fire around 11:30 Tuesday morning. Captain Nancy Crist says crews were initially cancelled because the smoke reported in the area was coming from a fireplace.
She says one of their engines was sent to the scene to check things out. When firefighters arrived Crist says they had trouble getting inside the apartment. “The resident didn’t want us to be in there so LPD came in to help us. It was a fire and putting people in eminent danger, so we were able to get in there.”
Once inside Crist says they found that the resident was burning trash, plastic and rubber tires in the fireplace. Crews fought the fire from the top of the chimney and inside the fireplace She says the toxic smoke posed a health risk to residents and the three-story, 14 unit building was evacuated until crews could clear the smoke.
Crist reminds residents that it’s illegal to burn anything but sawn wood in fireplaces.