Trumbull Fire Chiefs: Don't Take Ashes Lightly

Written by Chris DelMage | 25 January 2012

One man suffered burns and two homes were damaged by improper storage of hot ashes over the weekend.

One man suffered burns and two homes were damaged by improper storage of hot ashes over the weekend.

"Sunday morning at 5:49 a.m. the departments responded to a reported structure fire on Elmwood Ave which was caused by ashes placed in a plastic trash can outside the garage but immediately adjacent to the house. The fire caused damage to the interior and exterior of the garage area," said Trumbull Center Fire Chief Ed Gratrix.

Then, at 3:50 p.m., a structure fire started from ashes being left on the enclosed rear porch of the home. "There was smoke damage to the structure and the homeowner had minor burn injuries from attempting to extinguish the fire," Gratrix said.

Trumbull firefighters responded to two other calls regarding alternative heating systems. A fire on Pinewood trail resulting from a malfunctioning pellet stove was called in Jan. 21 at 6:43 p.m. The home had smoke damage from the faulty equipment.

On Jan. 22, at 2:53 p.m., fire departments responded to a chimney fire on Camelot Drive which was extinguished with no significant damage, according to a press release.

The four incidents were "alarming enough" that the town’s fire Chiefs and Fire Marshal Megan Murphy gathered at the Trumbull Center Fire Station to caution homeowners to be prudent and use extreme caution with alternative heating systems and particular when disposing of ashes.

“While the fires have caused minor damage and one occupant had burns, the danger of catastrophe exists,” said Long Hill Fire Chief Doug Bogen. “The Christmas day Stamford fire which killed five people is still fresh on our minds."

The officials stressed that only containers made of metal such as old pots should be used to transport the ashes to the exterior of the home.

“Cardboard, plastic buckets and bags just simply do not cut it. One cannot assume the ashes are cold because you are unable to see flame or feel heat,” Gratrix said. “Ashes are phenomenal insulators and can hide the heat from even the hottest embers.”

Added Murphy, “Do not place the ashes inside the home, porch, garage or anywhere near a structure, not even for one minute if unattended. Hot embers that appear to be cold, will flare up in intensity once they can access fresh air”

Nichols Fire Chief John Plofkin reminded everyone that “homeowners should wait a full two days for the ashes to cool down and avoid using a vacuum cleaner to remove ashes.”

“The dangers from the Stamford fire are always there, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors do not put out the fire but they will save your life. One of each should be in every home, tested and with fresh batteries,” Gratrix said.

Article provided by the the Trumbull Patch

Written by :

Chris DelMage