A Tuesday night chimney fire in northeast Forsyth forced a family out of its home until the smoke damage clears.

According to Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers, the incident involved a blaze that began burning outside a fireplace and up the chimney. It was reported about 10:30 p.m. at 6540  Little Mill Road.

“The house suffered very little fire damage beyond that immediate area,” Shivers said. “But there was enough water and smoke damage that the family is going to be displaced for a few days until that can be remediated and cleaned up.”

He added that authorities don’t know how the fire got out of the fireplace and burned throughout the chimney, including outside the flue pipe.

“On a cold night, it’s not uncommon for us to run multiple reports of fires in chimneys, but this one on Little Mill was more severe than just a chimney fire because it wasn’t contained to the chimney and the fire box,” Shivers said.

“It certainly could have been disastrous and, left unchecked, it could have made access into the attic and would have had that entire side of the home on fire very quickly, but we were able to get it stopped and keep it contained.”

The department worked on the site for about two hours, he said.

The local Red Cross offered assistance to the family, who Shivers said plans to stay with relatives.