Roseville House Fire Sparked by Failed Chimney Flue

A fire earlier this week at a Roseville home under renovation was sparked by a faulty chimney flue, city fire department officials said Thursday.

The fire occurred at about 10:30 p.m. Monday at 1205 Sandhurst Drive.

"The cause was a failure of the chimney flue,'' said John Loftus, Roseville Fire Department battalion chief and fire marshal.  "The home owner had been at the house on the day of the fire and had been heating the structure by burning a fire in the fireplace.

"The flue apparently failed, allowing the fire to ignite the combustible materials inside the wall surrounding the chimney." Loftus said in an e-mail to Roseville Patch. 
Twin Cities Fire Wire reported that "at about 10:35 p.m. Monday, Roseville crews, with automatic aid from Lake Johanna, were dispatched to a report of flames coming from a home behind 1197 County Road B.

Firefighters arrived to find a corner of the house at the 1200 block of Sandhurst in heavy flames, the news service said. "The home was vacant as it was under renovation."

Although the fire burned through the attic and part of the home's roof, fire crews were able to contain the blaze from spreading to the rest of the house, according to Twin Cities Fire Wire.

"Firefighters remained on scene for several hours performing extensive overhaul, due to the lathe and plaster operations."