Faulty chimney blocks caused a chimney fire to spread throughout a Pike County cabin in the Promised Land State Park area, completely destroying it Saturday afternoon.
The Davis family, of Olyphant, Lackawanna County, was in the cabin at the time when they smelled something burning, according to the state police report.
They soon discovered that the wall behind the fireplace was on fire.
The fire eventually traveled up the wall, into the second floor, then through the roof, according to the report.
Nobody was injured.
The fire appears to be accidental.
State police said it was due to failed chimney blocks behind the wall where the fire started.
Cracked chimney blocks can cause fires because embers are able to reach flammable materials, according to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The commission recommends that fireplace owners have an annual inspection, especially before heating season begins.
Large fires can also overheat chimneys.
Pike County Fire Departments’ Promised Land, Greene Dreher and Blooming Grove responded to the incident.