GASTONIA, N.C. — Sunday morning, Gastonia firefighters arrived at Clouse Street to put out a house fire.
The firefighters saw smoke coming out of the roof of a one-story house around 8:50 a.m.
The fire department said the fire began when gaps in the flue of the chimney let flammable materials spread to the walls and into the home's attic.
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The firefighters put out the fire in about 15 minutes.
Two people were in the house when the fire started, but made it out of the house safely.
No one was injured in the fire, but it caused $20,000 in damages to the home.
Officials have provided the following advice for people heating their homes with wood burning devices:
- Have all fireplaces, wooden stoves, screens and chimneys inspected annually by a qualified professional to ensure safety.
- Have a working smoke detector in all rooms.
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
- Make sure to only burn clean and dry wood in fireplaces and wood stoves.
- All fuel burning equipment should vent to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed on each floor of your home.
WSOC
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