Men enter home, alert man chimney’s on fire

Michael Sechena was at his home at 724 4th Avenue North when three men entered his house unannounced.

“They said my chimney’s on fire,” Sechena said.

At about 8 p.m., Sechena watched as firefighters exited and entered his home.

A long ladder from a fire truck was extended high to his chimney, which was illuminated by a spotlight. Firefighters climbed the ladder to to get a closer look at the chimney, which still was smoking with an occasional bright orange ember lighting up the night.

After he was alerted to the flames, Sechena put wet towels on the fire.

He was burning Ponderosa pine. “And it burns hot,” he said.

It could have been worse.

Battalion Chief Jeremy Jones said firefighters were just checking to see that the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the home.

It did not appear that the fire had spread Saturday evening.

Sechena said three guys entered his house. One of them called the fire department.

“I usually have my door locked,” Sechena said.

He had left it open because he was carrying firewood into the house throughout the day, he said.