It’s been a tough time for area firefighters, with overtaxed heating systems and roaring fireplaces leading to a number of calls under really tough conditions.  Two tenacious chimney fires busied a number of Ashe fire departments yesterday morning,

and a chimney fire in Avery late yesterday afternoon lead to two calls—and the first lead to a four-wheel drive fire truck getting very stuck on the drive leading to the house.  Firefighters knocked down the blaze, then dealt with their struck truck—stuck so fast that it broke one tow line.  Before that truck got out, firefighters had to return their attention to the fire as the walls were found to still be very hot, and a section of wall had to be cut out to reach the fire.