With temperature's getting lower, firefighters are warning everyone about the dangers of fireplace ashes when they are not discarded safely.
Flames damaged the side of a home in Rancho Cordova on Monday, according to Sacramento Metro Fire Department spokesman Steve Turner.
The homeowner had dumped the ashes into a garbage can outside the home, Turner said. It took the ashes less than an hour to ignite, sending flames up the side of the house.
While this fire was extinguished quickly, it and three other fireplace ash fires this weekend alone could have been prevented, Turner said.
"The one constant in these fires is folks believe the ashes are cool. They might let them sit in the fireplace for a few days then scoop them out," Turner said.
Turner said that people should be using a metal bucket to dispose of ashes, and that the ashes should cool down away from the house for about a week before they are thrown away.
Copyright 2005 by KCRA.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
