Three households in Jackson Township are unable to prepare their own homes for the holidays because of fires caused by heat sources.

All three fires in the past 10 days started with either a fireplace or an electric heater, reported Glenn Elmore, Jackson Township Fire Department chief.

The first, on Nov. 26, started in the chimney of 4024 Salmon Harbor Road. The residents had had the chimney swept just three weeks earlier, Elmore said, but fire found a small crack and traveled between the roof and the ceiling into the attic. "It was probably going at least 25 minutes before they even realized it was burning," Elmore said.

The home was saved, he said, but it's unlivable because of damage to the wiring. The occupants, a couple, are staying with relatives, Elmore said.

On Nov. 30, Jackson firefighters were able to contain a fire at 5427 North Shore Drive. It started in a stand-alone box fireplace when an overly-hot fire found a crack in the stone work. The fire traveled to the floor, into the crawlspace and up a wall into the attic, Elmore reported.

This house, too, is still standing, but damage to the electrical system has made it unlivable, Elmore said. The residents, a family with children, are staying with relatives.

A family with six children was made homeless Tuesday night, Dec. 4, when an electric baseboard heater ignited bedding at 2197 State Road 45. The fire was contained to the bedroom, Elmore said, but the home sustained heavy smoke damage.

Elmore recommends that people who heat with fireplaces have them thoroughly inspected before lighting up for the season. He also advises against building too big or hot of a fire. "If there's a weak link in the system, it will find that link," he said. Residents also shouldn't leave any fire burning when they're not home.

The names of the fire victims weren't immediately available Wednesday.

-- Sara Clifford, Brown County Democrat