Two people and three cats safely got out when a house fire erupted Friday morning (Jan. 30) in Masury, Brookfield Fire Chief David Masirovits said.

One resident was awakened by the smell of smoke and a smoke alarm went off at about the same time, alerting the second, Masirovits said. Firefighters were dispatched at 5:42 a.m. to 1155 West A St.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and fire at the rear of the house, the chief said.

“(Brookfield) Capt. (Steve) Smoot and Sharon (firefighters) made an aggressive interior attack and knocked the bulk of the fire down, and then we had very extensive overhaul and tedious work because of all the confined spaces in it, around the chimney,” Masirovits said.

The fire started in the chimney and “spread out into the structure,” he said.

“There is quite a bit of fire damage to the back wall and some damage from us doing overhaul,” the chief said.

Firefighters used the water on their trucks to extinguish the blaze and did not need to tap into a hydrant, the closest of which was a couple blocks away in Pennsylvania, Masirovits said.

The occupants, who were renting the house, secured another place to stay, he said.

Firefighters from Hubbard, Vienna and Burghill Vernon also assisted.

The chief said this fire showed the importance of proper maintenance and inspection of a chimney, as creosote and soot can build up on the walls of a chimney and catch fire.

“Sometimes, the lining of the chimney cracks and allows that fire to escape,” Masirovits said. “That’s what an inspection shows.”

A solid lining of metal or a material such as terracotta “allows all the huge embers and everything to go up and out versus getting caught and going into the attic or wall.”

“It’s not just preventing the fire,” he said of proper chimney care. “It allows the chimney to be more efficient for the homeowner, too. It maintains the longevity of the chimney and the efficiency of burning and heating and everything else by keeping it clean. You allow it to work the best as it can.”

The Trumbull County auditor lists the owner of the house as Tawnya McDonald.