Burning down the House!

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woodjack

Minister of Fire
Jan 10, 2008
502
Woodstock, NY
A house burned down in my town today.
Cause of fire: The ashes from the fireplace were put in a plastic bag and set out on the screened porch before they headed back to the city for the week. The guy said he's been doing it for sixteen years.
 
Seventeen ain't gonna happen.

Stuck on stupid.
 
That would be a good stickkie.

I have a BBQ double - one for the food and the side to cook. I put the ashes from the house into the BBQ until it is cool. I wait for 24 hours to use the hose to clean out the BBQ.

Robert.
 
My own father did that, some years ago.........put hot ashes in a plastic bag and put it out in the garage. Had a SMALL fire before realizing what he had done.

I guess there are bound to be some stupid mistakes now and then. I know "I've" made some in my day. Expensive way to learn however, buring the house down.

-Soupy1957
 
I recently thought, how many house fires there would be if everyone used a stove or insert to heat there homes? Would be some busy firemen.
 
That is a sad story but again proves the point. Do something stupid. You know it was not smart but you did it anyway. The next time it gets easier to do even though you still know it is wrong. Soon it becomes a habit..... This time a house burned. Lesson learned? Maybe not after that many year. It might be looked on as just one of those flukes that could never happen again.....
 
woodjack said:
A house burned down in my town today.
Cause of fire: The ashes from the fireplace were put in a plastic bag and set out on the screened porch before they headed back to the city for the week. The guy said he's been doing it for sixteen years.

As I said in another thread . . . I've seen far more houses burn from the improper disposal of ashes vs. improper installations, clearance issues or other problems with the stove (well short of folks attempting to use gasoline or a similar highly flammable liquid to start a fire -- which of course is NOT a recommended way to start a fire.) I should also point out that this said . . . I would not pooh-pooh the importance of following the manufacturer's suggestions for the correct hearth, clearance, etc.
 
firefighterjake said:
. . . I would not pooh-pooh the importance of following the manufacturer's suggestions for the correct hearth, clearance, etc.
Thats very true, I made that mistake on one stove and if anything drops out of the fire, it takes seconds to burn a hole on the carpet.
 
firefighterjake said:
As I said in another thread . . . I've seen far more houses burn from the improper disposal of ashes vs. improper installations, clearance issues or other problems with the stove ...

I only mension this because my wife doesnt' subscribe to this site. But she once decided to clean out the fire box of the stove using the whole house vacume (dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb!). My neighbor noticed smoke comming out of the garage. Good thing the catch basin was made out of metal. Only the filter burned but scorch marks on the side of the unit left an appraser scratching his head the last time I refinanced.
 
duplicate removed
 
I've found hot ashes in a stove that's been cold for two days. Found them in my vacuum cleaner bag!
 
Thats what scares me sometimes, I'm very much concious of the fact of what kind of time and placement ash needs after being removed but my wife doesn't think like me. Today she was vacuuming some ash that had fallen on the floor from the door being opened. She thinks I'm a nag when I keep on her about the coals and ash from the ash pan and the firebox. Just not looking for a bad day, stove related.
 
I put all my ashes in a 20gal miniture metal trash can with locking metal lid that I keep next to the stove. Because I burn 24/7 I'm always pulling out hot coals with the ash. Those coals can stay active for days if not a week sometimes.
 
Any ashes that fall out of the stove get swept under the stove into the fireplace opening. When stove is cleaned, ashes go into a metal container and then sit in one of my grills for a few days more. I never vac ashes from under the stove unless the stove has been out for a few days.

There are some people that do not pay enough attention. There are also some people that should not be using wood stovesor other fuel appliances such as grills.
 
My neighbor also did it put she put the ashes in a box. She said the ashes were in the stove for a couple of days since the last fire. She left and burnt 1/2 the garage down.
 
But not as stupid as the fire I read about in the NY Post yesterday. A guy burned his house down burning photographs of his old "flame". :snake:
 
when I was a teenager my friend's dad burnt down the house by putting hot coals in a trash can next to the house. From our perspective the worst part was that he had a copy of every playboy mag ever printed stashed in his attic. I'll never forget the site of all the fire trucks and all of us standing around looking at each other thinking the same thing- somehow hoping the mags had survived but looking at the ashes knowing they didn't.
 
HardWoodW said:
when I was a teenager my friend's dad burnt down the house by putting hot coals in a trash can next to the house. From our perspective the worst part was that he had a copy of every playboy mag ever printed stashed in his attic. I'll never forget the site of all the fire trucks and all of us standing around looking at each other thinking the same thing- somehow hoping the mags had survived but looking at the ashes knowing they didn't.

I guess you can say those were a bunch of smokin hot chicks. ;-P
 
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