Wood Stove Pipe Fire in Mid-Country Greenwich

Greenwich firefighters made quick work of a wood stove fire that ignited recently installed insulation around the pipe leading to the damper space and chimney on Friday afternoon.

It was 12:30 p.m. when a resident of 105 Dingletown Rd. called 9-1-1 to report a chimney fire after he “heard a pop and the house began to fill up with smoke,” according to Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Tom Zack. When crews arrived, “We found the insulation burning around the pipe of the wood stove in the kitchen, leading into the damper space that leads into the chimney,” Zack said.

According to Zack, the resident had a new liner and insulation installed for the stove about six weeks ago.

“Typically the insulation is a high temperature insulation and shouldn’t ignite. We’re kind of puzzled as to why it burned. We referred to back to the chimney company that installed it,” Zack added.

Firefighters remained at the scene about an hour, 20 minutes extinguishing the insulation and stove fire, and checking the two-story chimney and the attic to make sure the flames hadn’t spread, Zack said.

“We’re getting into the season where people need to be careful discarding hot embers. They need to make sure they are thoroughly soaked with water before putting into a metal trash can,” Zack said. “Make sure the can is no where near the garage or the house — make sure it is way, way away from the house.”

Photo: Greenwich Fire Department. Credit: Barbara Heins.