PORT ANGELES — An alert 13-year-old who noticed a chimney fire at his neighbor’s house Tuesday night saved the Port Angeles-area home, Clallam County Fire District No. 2 officials said Wednesday.
Hunter Halsey, an eighth-grader at Stevens Middle School, is credited for his early detection of the fire at 114 Benson Road.
No one was hurt in the blaze, thanks in part to Halsey’s vigilance, fire officials said.
“Hunter is a real hero,” Clallam County Fire District No. 2 Chief Jon Bugher said.
Returning home
Halsey was returning home from a trip to the market with his mother, Fawn Halsey, when he noticed a glow coming from the roof of his neighbor’s house off to the right side of the vehicle.
The residents, Art and Carol Girt, were in the basement at the time and didn’t realize that their cedar shake roof was about to catch fire.
“He knows Art and Carol,” Fawn Halsey said.
“He said, ‘I think Art’s house is on fire.’”
Assistant Fire Chief Sam Phillips said the fire “wasn’t really big at that point.”
It was just big enough for Hunter Halsey to notice the sparks coming out of the chimney.
“I said, ‘Mom, turn around, turn around!’” Hunter said.
Quicker than a smoke alarm
Without hesitation, Hunter barged in to get his neighbors out of their basement.
The smoke alarms had not detected the fire when he arrived, Fawn Halsey said.
“They [the Girts] didn’t have a clue,” Hunter said.
Hunter phoned his dad, Jeff Halsey, who rushed in to assist Art Girt in hosing down the fast-moving blaze from the second-story roof.
Firefighters got the call at 7:32 p.m. The first squad arrived nine minutes later and realized they needed a fire engine and backup, Phillips said.
By that time, the fire had spread to the exposed woodwork in the attic and roof, Phillips said.
It took 16 county and Port Angeles Fire Department personnel to extinguish the blaze with two engines and a water tender.
Fire officials said a 4-foot-by-8-foot section of the ceiling and a 3-foot-by-6-foot section of the shake roof were destroyed.
Phillips said the estimated property damage was $5,000. Phillips said the entire attic might have gone up in flames had Hunter not noticed the chimney fire.
“It would have been a lot worse,” Fawn Halsey added.
Clean chimneys
A Clallam County Fire District No. 2 incident memo reminded the public that “all chimneys need to be clean and inspected every year to help prevent chimney fires.”
Phillips said the county fire district will likely recognize Hunter Halsey at a future board meeting.
“I’m very, very proud of Hunter,” Fawn Halsey said.
“He’s a good boy. He would have done it for anybody else.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
