After two days of being stuck inside the chimney of a home on the 1200 block of Garfield Avenue in San Marino, a dirty and disheveled Cooper’s hawk was rescued by the San Marino Fire Department (SMFD) on Wednesday, July 10 after the resident reported noises and soot falling into their fireplace.
“The residents were very surprised that it was actually that type of bird,” SMFD Captain Jason Sutliff told The Tribune. “They were pleased that we got it out and in awe at the same time.”
SMFD Engine 91’s crew of Sutliff, Engineer Dan Wagenbrenner, Firefighter/Paramedic Dwayne Carlton and Firefighter/Paramedic Kirk Batterson responded at approximately 7 p.m. and made an assessment from the top of the chimney to the bottom of the fireplace, determining that the hawk could be rescued from the bottom. The crew discovered that it had managed to get itself stuck by entering an uncovered opening at the top of the chimney, which was only partially covered by mesh, and then found itself in a tight bind.
“For the most part, we knew it probably didn’t have enough room because of its size to really be able to spread its wings and get the lift, so I think that’s kind of the reason it couldn’t get out to our best judgment,” said Sutliff.
After the assessment, Carlton was able to reach up through the flue and pulled it to rescue. Once the bird was free, he held it carefully outside the home while the Pasadena Humane Society (Animal Control) was contacted for an assessment of its health.
The bird, however, had other ideas. After around 15 minutes of being held, it maneuvered its way out of his hands and flew free right at the moment Animal Control arrived. The resident reported that the hawk had been spotted previously near a nest close to the home.
“It felt like it had good strength,” said Sutliff. “As [Carlton] was saying, it wasn’t overly aggressive, but it definitely was like, ‘I’m done, I’m done being in a chimney, I’m done being held, I’m ready to go, thank you very much.’”
Sutliff encouraged residents to be sure they have a spark arrestor atop their chimney, which consists of a wire mesh covering with a cap. The device costs around $40.
“What it does is twofold: it prevents the sparks from coming out and catching things on fire, and on the other side of the coin, it prevents things from getting in your chimney,” said Sutliff.
Sutliff said it was a “good call” and his crew was glad the situation had a happy ending. He recommended residents reach out if they suspect an animal may be trapped around their home.
“We’ve gone on Animal Control calls before where sometimes it’s nothing or sometimes it is something, but of course our want is that even if something goes wrong: see something, say something,” said Sutliff. “If you hear something in your house and you can’t really figure it out, call us, call somebody or call Animal Control if you need to.”
When it comes to animal whispering, Carlton seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. On Monday, the firefighter/paramedic saved two cats and a dog from a fire in San Gabriel, according to Sutliff.
To contact the San Marino Fire Department, call (626) 300-0735. For Animal Control, call (626) 792-7151.
