She put hot Ashes from pellet stove in garage and guess what happened in Merton WI house? - Waukesha

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Don2222

Minister of Fire
Feb 1, 2010
9,110
Salem NH
Hello

2 Alarm Blaze !!! Garage is Leveled!! Side of home is burned out!

See Video news Report from CBS Ch 58 here >> http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=15567
Also See Fox 6 Video News report >> http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-01052011-north-lake-house-fire-story,0,4438384.story?track=rss

Ashes from Pellet Stove cause a fire.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/112928819.html

Lake County Reporter
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/lakecountryreporter/policeandcourts/112949839.html

Ashes from pellet stove start overnight fire in Merton

Jan. 5, 2011

Authorities believe ashes from a pellet stove started a house fire on Crown Point Court in the Town of Merton overnight.

The fire was reported at 1:33 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, according to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

The homeowner had cleaned out her pellet stove and placed the ashes, which she believed were extinguished, into a garbage can in the garage.

The residents had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. But at one point the family dog caught on fire and the homeowner's boyfriend received minor burns to his hand when he extinguished the flames on the pet. The dog was taken to the Emergency Animal Hospital in Waukesha, according to the Sheriff's department.
 

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I would say that a covered metal container should be sold with every stove, but then that might also apply to the sale of cigarettes. Improper handling of ashes, regardless of the source, poses a significant fire risk. The fact that these ashes came from a pellet stove seems insignificant. Learning to use covered metal containers, and or water to store/extinguish ashes and keeping them out and away from any building. What is the price before the lessons are learned
 
I swept up my floor of wood shavings & threw this on top of ashes the other day. They were over a day old. Then my basement started filling with smoke & it wasn't obvious where it was coming from, learned my lesson there, Randy
 
Hmm,does the insurance co. cover something like this? might just be my ticket to a warmer climate lol
 
Don2222 said:
Glosta said:
Doesn't every prudent pellet stove owner know that proper disposal of hot pellet ash must include a combustable pizza box?

Hi Glosta

It does NOT say in the instructions not to dump hot ashes in a pizza box and put it on the front porch!!
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/71774/ << But this is what happened !!!

That's because every pellet stove should come with an illustrated stick figure warning label like the ones found on snowblowers.

Stick Figure placiing cardboard Pizza Box with Hot Ashes under porch = DANGER
 
pellet stove ash....give me a break, bullchit!
 
Singed Eyebrows said:
I swept up my floor of wood shavings
& threw this on top of ashes the other day. They were over a day old. Then my basement started filling with smoke...

Ashes from a pellet stove still hot after 24 hours?
Wow weird. Even the hot coals in my firepit are cool
after that many hours.

I always put water on them just to be on the safe side.
 
I dump'em on the snow 30 feet from the house; then cover them with more snow.
 
Never got hot ashes out of my stove, when I empty my ash pan they are dead cold.
I suppose a poor burning stove could have hot ashes.
 
Xena said:
Singed Eyebrows said:
I swept up my floor of wood shavings
& threw this on top of ashes the other day. They were over a day old. Then my basement started filling with smoke...

Ashes from a pellet stove still hot after 24 hours?
Wow weird. Even the hot coals in my firepit are cool
after that many hours.

I always put water on them just to be on the safe side.
OK, I wondered off into another forum lol. I though ash was ash. The ash was from my gasification boiler, Randy
 
Singed Eyebrows said:
OK, I wondered off into another forum lol. I though ash was ash. The ash was from my gasification boiler, Randy

lol. Well nice t meet ya but sorry to learn you have a mean girlfriend. :)
 
Xena said:
Singed Eyebrows said:
OK, I wondered off into another forum lol. I though ash was ash. The ash was from my gasification boiler, Randy

lol. Well nice t meet ya but sorry to learn you have a mean girlfriend. :)
Nice to meet you too. She really isn't that mean, lol, Randy
 
I'm wondering... perhaps there should be a "common sense" or "minimum IQ" test people have to pass before they can own a wood-burning appliance? Things like putting hot ash into a can full of combustible trash seem like pretty basic "don't do's" to me...
 
Mt Ski Bum said:
I'm wondering... perhaps there should be a "common sense" or "minimum IQ" test people have to pass before they can own a wood-burning appliance? Things like putting hot ash into a can full of combustible trash seem like pretty basic "don't do's" to me...

Well....I don't know. It would be pretty easy to assume the ashes are cool. I think that's why the stove manufacturers put warnings all over the place telling you that they are not.

Obviously many people have made such a mistake.
 
Well I did a stupid thing. I have a bowl I put the ashes in. Most of the time they are cold unless I am in a hurry. So anyway I left the ashes in the bowl on the hardwood floor. Odd because usually I don't leave the bowl on the wood either. Burned a nice mark on the floor. Now I dump water in just to be safe. I've usually got more than 2 or 3 things going at once so I have to double and triple check I don't forget something.
 
rehabbingisgreen said:
Well I did a stupid thing. I have a bowl I put the ashes in. Most of the time they are cold unless I am in a hurry. So anyway I left the ashes in the bowl on the hardwood floor. Odd because usually I don't leave the bowl on the wood either. Burned a nice mark on the floor. Now I dump water in just to be safe. I've usually got more than 2 or 3 things going at once so I have to double and triple check I don't forget something.

People are noted for not being capable of multitasking, an accident waiting to happen comes to mind every time I see an employment ad seeking someone capable of multitasking.
 
I sure wish I could find the post from someone who SWORE that ashes taken from a pellet stove are ALWAYS so cold that you could put your hand in them....... :roll: :ahhh: :lol:
 
I ahve found some hot spots after a couple hours.

When I clean, I place the ashes in a heavy bucket and as soon as the stove is clean, the ashes go out to the side yard and get dumped in the wet grass.

Just far too iffy to leave that stuff stitting around.

The same mentality that causes these homes to burn down causes cars to fly off the road when it snows.

NO COMMON SENSE

Common sense has been banned in schools now me thinks.

Snowy
 
urkiddin said:
Hmm,does the insurance co. cover something like this? might just be my ticket to a warmer climate lol

Yes Insurance Companies gladly pay for stupidity. :)

Why do I suspect that it was not ashes but CLINKERS!!! that caused the fire.
 
Snowy Rivers said:
NO COMMON SENSE

Common sense has been banned in schools now me thinks.

Snowy

Truer words have never been spoken, Snowy!!! So much for Tenure and No Child Left Behind!
 
Snowy Rivers said:
I ahve found some hot spots after a couple hours.

When I clean, I place the ashes in a heavy bucket and as soon as the stove is clean, the ashes go out to the side yard and get dumped in the wet grass.

Just far too iffy to leave that stuff stitting around.

The same mentality that causes these homes to burn down causes cars to fly off the road when it snows.

NO COMMON SENSE

Common sense has been banned in schools now me thinks.

Snowy

That's why they now call it "uncommon sense";
If everyone had it, it would be common, but nowadays, I'd be happy if they could pull their paints up :)

Hello Ash Can, here we come!
 
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