Chimney Fire - Tales from Bark Mountain

Have you ever wondered what firefighters might find inside a chimney?

In this Tales from Bark Mountain story, a simple chimney fire turns into something nobody expected. When Fire Chief Steve and the crew race to a smoke-filled home on 1295 Boulderpath road, they discover a surprise hidden deep inside the chimney,

This story quickly turns into a rescue that is going to take teamwork, kindness, and a little bit of courage to help save the day.

This Tales from Bark Mountain episode was created and narrated by Steve Serbic

Music from Bensound.com

License code: JOMKAMTPZ2OJIAIF

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Check out goosethefiredog.com for pictures and more stories 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Welcome to another tale from Bark Mountain. The alarm bells rang just as the sun was beginning to set over Bark Mountain. Chief Steve looked up from his desk. Engine eleven, Rescue eleven, Chief One, Report of a Chimney Fire at one hundred two nine five, Boulder Path Road. The crew jumped into action. Tom, Red, Forrest, Dazzle, Izzy, and Jake slid down the pole and hopped into their fire trucks. Goose the Fire Dog climbed aboard with Fire Chief Steve. Within moments, lights flashed and sirens echoed through town. When they arrived smoke When they arrived, smoke was drifting from a cozy home near the end of Boulder Path Road. A worried family safely stood outside. Our house is filling with smoke, cried out the woman. We just lit our fireplace for the first time this year. It started smelling funny, and then smoke started coming into the living room, she said. You did exactly the right thing by getting outside and calling us, Fire Chief Steve said calmly. The firefighters got to work immediately. Red and Forrest stretched a hose line to the front door, while Tom and Izzy and Jake enter the house wearing their air packs. Inside there was smoke billowing out of the fireplace. They quickly put the fire out in the fireplace. Jake asked how do we know where the fire is? It's behind the wall. Red brought the thermal imaging camera and started to point it at the wall. He brought Jake over and said watch the temperatures. As he pointed the camera at the fireplace, it started to show different temperatures. Red put his hand on Jake's shoulder. Chimney fires can be tricky, he said. Sometimes the fire stays inside the chimney, and other times the heat spreads into hidden spaces inside the walls or even the attic. We have special training, Jake, and we're going to show some of that to you now. We are also going to use the thermal imaging camera. This camera sees into the walls. It helps us see the heat that our eyes can't see, he explained to Jake. Slowly he scanned the walls around the fireplace. Blue, green, those are all cool temperatures. Then suddenly orange, yellow, a hot spot. Chief, we've got heat showing behind the section of the wall beside the fireplace opening, Tom radioed. Outside, Fire Chief Steve nodded. Let's check above the fireplace, he said. Dazil and Forrest were now climbing onto the roof. They had bright lights and special chimney inspection tools. The evening sky was turning purple as they carefully examined the outside of the chimney. Then Dazzle shined her powerful light down the chimney opening and suddenly froze. Chief, you're not going to believe this, she said. Forrest leaned in and looked over inside the chimney. His eyes widened. At first it looked like a pile of leaves, and then the pile moved. A tiny furry nose appeared, then another, then another. Squirrels, Forrest whispered. Inside the chimney was a huge squirrel's nest, not just one squirrel, but the entire family was living there. Mama Squirrel looked up nervously while her three tiny babies huddled in beside her for safety. The firefighters stared down at her. This just became more than a chimney fire, Dazzle laughed into her radio. We've got a squirrel family to rescue, she said. Down below Goose barked excitedly. The firefighters carefully adjusted their plan. The chimney fire had been extinguished, but now they had four tiny lives to rescue. As they investigated further, the mystery became clear. The homeowner had not used their chimney in almost a year. For months while the chimney sat quiet and empty, the squirrel family thought it was a safe place to build a home to protect their family. The firefighters got to work. The rescue started very gently as Dazlin lowered a little rescue basket, as Dazlin slowly lowered a little rescue basket into the chimney. Mama Squirrel seemed a bit frightened at first, but after a few moments she appeared to understand the firefighters were trying to help her family. As the homeowner and the family watched from the yard, the little girl smiled as they came out of the chimney. They're adorable, she whispered. Then came one final surprise. Red told Jake to kneel down beside the fireplace and poke the nest with a stick so that it would come crashing down and they could clean it up. Jake looked up the dark hole. I think I found the nest, he said. He gave the nest in the chimney a gentle poke. Nothing happened. So he poked it again. And for one quiet second everything was still. Then there was a huge crash. A waterfall of walnuts exploded out of the chimney, bounced off the hearth, and rolled across the floor. Walnuts rattled across the living room like tiny bowling balls, and Jake disappeared beneath them in the avalanche. Jake, Red said with a laugh. A moment later, Jake's head popped out of the pile. I think I found the walnuts, he said. Fire Chief Steve and Red started to laugh. Even Goose threw back his head and let out a happy howl. The firefighters got together and collected all the walnuts. They quickly filled one pill, then another, then another. By the time they were finished picking up all the walnuts, the firefighters had collected enough walnuts to fill six large buckets. The homeowner family stared in amazement. That's where all the walnuts went from our tree, the little boy said. I think the squirrel family was preparing to stay here a very long time, Jake said. And everyone laughed. That night had started as a chimney fire. A family had called because smoke was filling their home. The crew came expecting to find heat, fire and danger, but hidden deep inside the chimney, behind months of walnuts and twigs, they found something else a squirrel family, a mother, tiny babies, a home within a home. The firefighters carefully cleared the chimney, protected the animals, and helped everyone stay safe. Because firefighters don't just save houses, they save families too. And on the way back to the fire hall, the firefighters knew this to be true. Sometimes what looks like a problem is really a family trying to make a home. And when kindness leads the way, there is always room to save one more life. The world gets brighter every time someone chooses to protect what cannot protect itself. As the firefighters drove back to the fire hall, they knew this to be true. Firefighters are trained to find heat behind walls, but the very best firefighters learn to find something even more important hidden behind every emergency, a life worth protecting. And sometimes the greatest rescue isn't saving a house. It's saving small, fragile lives that make a house feel like home. Because years from now, nobody will remember the chimney, no one will remember the smoke. Because somewhere in the trees tonight a squirrel family is still together. Not because of luck, not because of chance, but because a few firefighters believe that every life is worth protecting, and the world becomes a better place. When people like firefighters choose kindness and take the time to help others, even the smallest heartbeat can change the ending of a story. Thank you for listening. Please check out goostofiretog.com for more stories and pictures. Every Sunday the crew gathers around for another tale from Mark Mountain. Please join us. Good morning, good day, good night, little firefighters everywhere.