SUBLETTE COUNTY – Sublette County’s volunteer firefighters turned out Saturday morning, Jan. 13, to fight an attic blaze in Pinedale’s 17-below temperature.

At 8:25 a.m., Sublette County Unified Fire’s (SCUF) battalions from Pinedale, Marbleton/Big Piney, Daniel and Kendall Valley responded to a call about a structure fire at a house on South Fremont Avenue where smoke was billowing from a home’s eaves, according to SCUF’s Mike Petty.

When firefighters arrived, smoke was visibly escaping from the attic vents and under the eaves, Petty said. Nobody was home at the time. Sublette County deputies assisted with access to the building and traffic control while Sublette EMS stood by for medical and firefighters’ support, he said.

“Firefighters quickly connected the nearby hydrant, set ladders up under the roof peak and gained access through the front door,” Petty said in his Jan. 13 release. “Interior firefighters were able to make access to the attic space and discovered the attic was fully involved in fire. The firefighters were able to immediately extinguish the attic fire while other arriving crews ventilated from the exterior.”

The additional firefighters placed salvage covers over the home’s furnishings to minimize water and smoke damage. Crews checked for fire extension and extinguished remaining smoldering fires in the insulation and wall spaces of the second floor. Crews then remove the damaged insulation and fire debris after the fire was out.

“Thanks to the preparedness, training, quick response and coordination of the responding firefighters, the fire was quickly extinguished,” Petty said. “Fire damage was contained to the attic space with minimal damage to the rest of the home. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters reported.”

Initial findings indicated the fire started in the attic space surrounding the chimney and the fire was still under investigation.

Petty and SCUF wanted to remind residents with fireplaces and chimneys to clean chimneys frequently and ensure no combustible materials are close to or touching them.