Cold temperatures mean time to maintain heat sources

Smoke coming from a home in Autumn Hills on Friday morning was caused by clogged heater piping.

“Firefighters arrived on scene to find the smoke coming from the rooftop vent,” Investigator Patrick Mooneyhan said. “Once the power was turned off to the HVAC unit, the smoke stopped coming from the vent.”

After searching the home to find out if the fire had spread, investigators found the clogged piping.

“When the heat turned on, it heated the residue in the piping and caused black smoke to pour out of the rooftop vent,” Mooneyhan said. “The home is habitable and has been turned back over to the homeowner.”

The call drew a significant firefighting response, including five engines and three water tenders.

Tahoe Douglas firefighters responded to the fire with an engine and then 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 call at the Community Center, prompting East Fork to request units from Carson City and Mono County to help cover responses.

“With this incident in mind and the arrival of the colder temperatures, East Fork Fire Protection District wants to remind residents about heating safety and that now is a good time to get their chimneys cleaned and HVAC serviced for the coming winter.”