PINEHURST –– Emergency crews responded to a residential structure fire on Monday afternoon that reignited early Tuesday morning.  

According to Shoshone County Fire District #2 Chief Scott Dietrich, the initial call came in just before 2 p.m. on Monday, where the blaze was fought on the backside of the home and inside the attic.  

The fire was believed to be extinguished that evening, with firefighters doing routine checks at the home. According to Dietrich, the home was rechecked at 10 p.m. and still showed no signs of any further activity. However, at 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning, crews were once again dispatched to the home, where the fire had restarted and spread quickly.  

“This time when crews arrived, the entire second story was on fire with fire dropping into the first story,” Dietrich said. “It was determined it was not safe to have firefighters inside the house, so all firefighting efforts were conducted from the outside and the ladder truck.” 

According to Dietrich, the fire originated from the home’s pellet stove chimney. Reportedly, the ignition happened inside one of the home’s walls and spread to the attic. 

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), chimney fires cause more than 20,000 residential house fires annually in the United States. 

“Due to the age of the home and past additions, it was very difficult to access all of the hot spots,” Dietrich said. “There were no injuries or fatalities from this fire.” 

Crews from SDFD #2, Shoshone County Fire District #1, and the Mullan Fire Department all responded to assist with the fire.