ASHBOURNE’S busiest shopping street was bought to a standstill last week as firefighters tackled a chimney fire at the Green Man Royal Hotel.
Special equipment had to be brought in to tackle the fire, at around 10am on Friday, and fire and rescue officers had no choice but to stop traffic and pedestrians using the road and pavement along St John Street while they got to work reaching the top of a chimney.
Kingsway Fire Station sent an ariel ladder platform to help officers reach the top of the historic town centre pub as the stirrup pump and rods usually used to put out a chimney fire from below were having little effect and smoke — which had filled the roof-space — was still visible.
Crew manager Gary Bennett said: “In the end the only way we could deal with it was to reach it from the top because it is such a tall building.
“It was a lot of effort for what is usually a small job. A chimney fire is usually quite routine at this time of year.” The road was closed by Derbyshire County Council until grit could be laid as the low temperatures were threatening to freeze the water left on the road by the fire engines.
Mr Bennett has issued a warning to home owners to keep their chimneys clean, as a build-up of soot is often the cause of chimney fires, which can be prevented if they are swept regularly.
