Just as a point of curiosity, I’m wondering what the liability is (if any) for the home inspector who inspected this property for the home sale:
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20110425/NEWS/704259999/1051&ParentProfile=1001
*On a cold Easter night, Zach Weaver thought it would be a good time to light a fire in the fireplace, save a little on the gas bill, and warm up the house.
Only this time, things didn’t go as planned: “When I saw a little smoke coming from the top of the fireplace, I knew something was wrong,” Weaver said. “I ran to the laundry room and poked my head up into the attic and it was full of smoke. That’s when I knew it was time to call the fire department.”
The fire, at the Weaver house in the 1400 block of 13th Street, started in the insulation around the top of the fireplace, quickly spread through the attic and into the roof. By the time it was over, the Greeley Fire Department estimated the damage at $40,000.
The Weaver family — Zach and his wife and three kids under four years old — were able to get out of the house without any problem, and took their black Lab dog, “Nora” with them.
Fire reports state that as the firefighters arrived, flames were showing from the upper portions of the house, and firefighters were able to extinguish it quickly. They stayed to cool the hot spots in the attic, and made sure the fire wouldn’t come back.
“They said we could have spent the night here,” Weaver said Monday morning, “But we didn’t want to sleep in a place that smells like a campfire.” They spent the night with relatives, Weaver said.
Inside the house that the Weaver family bought two years ago, the ceiling of the living room has a huge hole now, and the burned rubble lies on the floor in front of the fireplace. Weaver said firefighters told him the fireplace had been incorrectly installed before they bought the house and it was just a matter of time before the heat and fire in the fireplace caught the roofing materials on fire.
“Now,” Weaver said Monday morning, “We’re waiting for the insurance company to see how much this is gonna cost us.” *