A man was desperate to stop flames from damaging his Franklin home early Friday evening, but fire officials said his actions could have made things worse.
A chimney fire spread to the attic area of the single-story home in the 8900 block of Franklin Trenton Road.
At 7:20 p.m., crews encountered flames issuing from the roof where one of the residents was standing and trying to put the flames out, according to Franklin Twp. Fire Capt. Kenrick Hamilton.
A man, woman and a child were home at the time. They got out OK. A neighbor alerted the residents to the fire after seeing flames coming from the chimney.
Hamilton said the fire could have spread further because the resident was dousing the chimney with water.
"We don't recommend anybody going on the roof to try to put a chimney fire out," he said. "It was actually getting water in the chimney. That can hurt the chimney itself. It can explode and make the fire worse."
With an arctic blast bringing cold temperatures to Southwest Ohio this weekend, Hamilton advised residents should inspect and clean their chimneys before using the fireplace.
"When a chimney runs all year, soot builds up and that's what causes the fire," he said.
Exhaust fans were used to vent the house of smoke. The damage estimate was not immediately available.
