FIREFIGHTERS in West Devon tackled two chimney fires at around the same time last Thursday evening. A fire appliance from North Tawton attended a chimney fire on the first floor of a three-storey property in the Square, North Tawton, shortly after 5.15pm. Due to the height of the building, a hydraulic platform appliance from Exeter was called. A thermal imaging camera helped crews tackle the flames and clear the chimney, removing soot and ash. Station commander Twiggy Lake said: 'At this time of year, the fire service would like to remind people to have their chimneys checked, especially for birds' nests which can block chimneys, as in this case. Please make sure you use a bona fide chimney sweep too.' In Okehampton, a crew was dispatched to Castle Road where another chimney fire had broken out. The fire began around 5.30pm and the crew used chimney gear to deal with the blaze.
