Bedford firefighters extinguished a chimney fire in a residence on Appletree Lane late Thursday, and Fire Chief David Grunes used the incident to send a message to the community.
“Cold weather is coming, so this is the time to not only have your chimney cleaned but also inspected,” the chief advised.
The fire Thursday night resulted from an accumulation of creosote, Grunes said. Firefighters used extinguishers to put the blaze out.
One firefighter was injured while working on the roof. He was treated at Lahey Hospital in Burlington and released.
“Our job is dangerous, and some of the things we go through are preventable,” the chief pointed out.
“People with wood-burning stoves are pretty good about it,” Grunes said of chimney maintenance. “We see it more with people who only use the chimney once or twice a year.”
He added that inspection can ensure that fire can’t penetrate compromised mortar and burn into the adjacent wall.
Thursday’s incident was an example of how mutual aid works. A crew from the Hanscom Air Force Base covered the Bedford fire station and the Billerica Fire Department handled the rescue.