Wall Catches Fire While Residents Using Fireplace

From the Press Herald (Portland, Maine):

SACO -- A fire in a fireplace ignited combustible material in a exterior wall of a house this morning.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which Duross estimated caused $50,000 worth of damage. The fire at 8 Paul St. was reported around 7:45 a.m. and crews were on the scene until about 10 a.m.

The residents had lost power and were using the fireplace for warmth, according to Deputy Chief John Duross.

Duross believes the house was built more than 100 years ago, a time when current standards for clearance for combustible materials where not in place.

But it took 100 years for those combustible materials to actually catch a spark?