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2 Firefighters Hurt Battling Alamo Chimney Fire

ALAMO (BCN) - Two firefighters were hurt Tuesday night while extinguishing a chimney fire at a home in Alamo, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District officials said Wednesday.

Residents were at home when the fire started but were able to safely exit the house, located at 124 Lark Court. They called 911 from a cell phone at 8:05 p.m., according to the district.

When firefighters arrived, they found that the blaze had spread from the chimney to the attic area.

Firefighters were able to put out the two-alarm blaze in about 40 minutes.

The two firefighters who were hurt were taken to a hospital for observation. Their injuries are considered minor and both are expected to make full recoveries, district officials said.

Damage was estimated to be about $600,000.

Fire officials are encouraging residents to have their chimneys inspected and cleaned by a licensed professional at least once a year.

They are also recommending that residents program the fire district's emergency dispatch number into their cell phones. That number is (925) 838-6691.

Calls made to 911 using cell phones are sometimes routed to the California Highway Patrol, which then redirects the calls to the appropriate agencies. Programming the emergency number into cell phones could save time in an emergency.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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