The Appleton Fire Department is crediting working smoke detectors with alerting five people to get out of their house early Sunday morning.
Firefighters from Appleton and Grand Chute were called to the 1600 block of Hillcrest Drive around 1:00am for reports of a chimney fire. When they arrived, they saw flames coming through the roof. Three adults and two children had safely evacuated the home. Investigators say they were sleeping when the fire broke out, but smoke alarms woke them up, and they were able to escape without any injuries.
Fire crews quickly put out the fire but continued to battle hot spots in the attic for quite some time. They say the home has an extensive amount of damage, but the cost has yet to be determined.
The heating inspector for the City of Appleton is currently assisting with the investigation to help pinpoint the cause of the fire.
