Fire in flue

The Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to 142-year-old Eichardt's Private Hotel yesterday to extinguish a fire in the luxury property's external metal chimney.

Station officer Bobby Lamont said firefighters removed the coal, cooled down the firebox and advised the owners to sweep the chimney.

A thermal camera was used to make sure heat had dissipated. There was no damage as the fire was contained, Mr Lamont said.