1969 home yesterday, I wrote up a laundry chute from the 2nd floor to the basement (12' from top of chute to bottom, ~20' from top of chute to basement floor) as a violation of required fire blocking. The laundry chute was actually a metal 4x16 between stud heating duct open at the wall on top and through the bottom to the basement and had a hinged plywood door at the top that swung out into the room.

I know that fireblocking is required every 10 feet, but is this being too picky?

Would the duct be considered fireblocking within the wall itself, even if it is in contact with wood?