Costa Mesa house fire possibly caused by chimney buildup

Costa Mesa firefighters extinguished a blaze in the State Streets neighborhood Thursday evening that started in a chimney and caused an estimated $1,000 in damage.

Officials received a call at 8:41 p.m. of a chimney fire in the 3200 block of Montana Avenue. Firefighters extinguished the chimney blaze within 10 minutes. Nineteen fire personnel responded.

No injuries were reported.

Officials believe the fire was caused by excessive buildup of creosote, a flammable chemical substance, in the chimney, said Battalion Chief Bill Kershaw.

“When you get that much buildup, it gets extremely hot,” Kershaw said. “Over time, especially when the chimneys get older, the mortar can break down in the chimney ... that can make [a fire] extend into the house.”

Officials recommend getting chimneys cleaned out to avoid creosote buildup.

—Bradley Zint

Twitter: @bradleyzint