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Smoldering fireplace ashes blamed for Davenport house fire

Improper disposal of fireplace ashes was blamed for fire that damaged a home in Davenport, Iowa.

Improper disposal of fireplace ashes was blamed for fire that damaged a home in Davenport, Iowa.

One person was in the home in the 1500 block of West 48th Street when the fire broke out just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Firefighters said they found a fire in the garage, along an exterior wall.

“The fire burned completely through the wood sheathing on the exterior wall of the garage, and caused damage in the attic truss area of the garage,” according to a statement on behalf of Davenport Fire District Chief Robbie Minnaert. Damage was confined to the garage area, and a car parked I the garage also sustained minor damage before it was moved out of the garage.

“The residents were allowed to return to the home after firefighters ventilated the home and checked to be sure that there was no longer a presence of carbon monoxide gas,” the statement said.

The fire was accidental, and determined to be the result of improper disposal of ashes from a fireplace.

Why this happens

“(H)ot coals can stay dormant for weeks when buried in ashes. The ash acts as an insulator keeping coals from burning out,” said information from Hearth.com. “All these coals need to flare up once more is oxygen.”  They recommend a metal ash bucket that has a lid and an offset bottom that doesn’t touch the floor. Only set the bucket on a non-combustible surface such as stone, concrete, brick or slate.

“The biggest mistake firefighters witness when it comes to fire ashes is finding them thrown out in the home trash cans,” said the Wells & Sons chimney services website. “No matter how long the fire has been out, there could still be flammable ember present in the ashes.” They recommend moving ashes to a metal pail and dumping the pail into a metal garbage can that you use only for ashes.

“Whenever you add new ashes to the can, it is a good idea to spray it down with water, and to leave the lid off when it is snowing or raining outside,” the site said. Store the metal trash can at least ten feet away from your home.

You don’t have to clean them out every time

“Did you know that it is not a good idea to remove the ash from the fireplace or wood stove every time you build a fire?” That’s according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, which says a one-inch layer of ash on the floor of the firebox makes it easier to build and maintain a fire, because the hot coals that nestle into the ash glow and reflect more heat back to the fire.

The small layer of ashes can also help speed up the time it takes to get a fire blazing, and “Getting the fire blazing as quickly as possible will reduce the amount of unspent fuel that can cling to the interior of the flue or exit the chimney,” the CSIA website said.

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