Cold temperatures mean time to maintain heat sources

Smoke rising from a home in Autumn Hills Friday morning was caused by clogged heating pipes.

“Firefighters arrived on scene and discovered the smoke was coming from the roof vent,” said Investigator Patrick Mooneyhan. “As soon as the power to the HVAC unit was turned off, smoke stopped coming from the vent.”

After searching the home to see if the fire had spread, investigators discovered the plumbing was blocked.

“When the heater turned on, it heated the debris in the plumbing and caused black smoke to pour out of the roof vent,” Mooneyhan said. “The house is habitable and has been returned to the homeowner.”

The call triggered a significant firefighting response, including five locomotives and three water tenders.

Tahoe Douglas firefighters responded to the fire with an engine and then to a similar incident on Lake Boulevard around 12:50 p.m

Around the same time, there were calls for a minor collision in Indian Hills and a medical emergency call at the community center, prompting East Fork to request units from Carson City and Mono County to assist with disaster relief.

“In light of this incident and the arrival of colder temperatures, the East Fork Fire Protection District would like to remind residents of heating safety and that now is a good time to clean their chimneys and maintain air conditioning for the coming winter allow.”