Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor firefighters put out a chimney fire at Linekin Bay Bed & Breakfast in East Boothbay on the afternoon of May 15.

The homeowners, Larry Brown and Marti Booth, were in the house at approximately 1:35 p.m. when Down East Energy was conducting routine maintenance on their basement oil furnace.

 A malfunction occurred when the servicemen turned on the furnace, Brown said. It inadvertently sprayed excess oil up into the shaft, igniting the insides of the chimney.

No one was injured during the incident; fire trucks from Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor were at the scene within minutes, Brown said.

Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham screened the house with an infrared camera, and while smoke needed to be vented from the inside of the house, no damage to the property was reported.

Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford said although most people don't start fires during warmer weather seasons, chimney flare ups are not uncommon throughout the year.

Spofford said although it was not a serious situation, chimney incidents also help train their local fire brigade on the ladder truck owned by the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department.

Brown said he was very happy with the quick and efficient response of both fire departments, and that an insurance adjuster was being sent from Down East Energy to assess the situation.