Pellet Stove Ash Disposal Causes Fire

[velvetfoot]

I thought this kind of thing only happened with wood stoves:
(broken link removed to http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3677141.shtml)


Updated: 01/15/2015 12:13 PM
Created: 01/15/2015 6:18 AM WNYT.com
By: WNYT Staff

VICTORY MILLS – Two people escaped an early morning house fire in Victory Mills on Thursday. Firefighters say flames engulfed the home on Evans Street just after 2 a.m.

Christina Derby lives across the street from where the fire started. She says her husband got up to go to the bathroom when he saw the flames. “He got up, looked over, and said something about, “Get up, get up, there’s a fire. Sue’s house is on fire!” And I got up and ran downstairs because I wanted to make sure everybody got out.”

Derby says her niece’s husband, who lives next door to the home that caught fire, also saw the flames and ran inside to help. “Shannon ran up into the apartment and got [the man sleeping inside] out of there,” said Derby. “And then I came out and yelled across the road, “Is everybody out? Is everybody out?” And they said yes.”

One man was sleeping upstairs in the apartment above the garage. Another woman was sleeping in the house connected to the garage. Both escaped without injury. Firefighters say they are zeroing in on a cause.

“Right now, we’re looking at a pellet stove,” said Mike Dennison, Chief of the Victory Mills Fire Department. “The occupant cleaned the stove earlier in the night, put the discarded ashes out on the rear deck and we’re looking at that area right there.”

The apartment above the garage is considered to be a total loss.

It wasn’t just the fire that crews battled this morning, it was the cold temperatures as well. Temperatures froze hydrants, meaning water had to be trucked in by other departments. A warming station was also set up for the firefighters to help them recuperate from the cold.

 

[DAKSY]

Yep. Get a couple of glowing incompletely burned pellets in the ash pan buried in ashes & they can smolder for hours.
I dump the ash pan in the woods across the street when I empty the P43 & to be honest, I don't shut it down for very long
when I do the monthly (one ton) cleaning. I always go back to check the ashes & I've found small areas where dried
leaves have ignited.

 

[bogieb]

If I can't dump the ashes on a pile of snow (and I mean pile, not a dusting), or it hasn't been raining for 3 days to get everything nicely soaked thru, I don't dump ashes. If the stove wasn't shut down for very long, I put the ash can either on my paved driveway or at the very least on dirt (not on my wood ramp - which would equate to their deck), to cool for at least several hours. If it still feels warm, then it stays outside overnight. If it feels cool, then I will put it in my basement next to my stove. Even if it catches fire, it is on concrete and has a nice 24" minimum clearance to any combustibles. And, of course I have two CO detectors in the house.

 

[bags]

Only takes a little to create a lot when it comes to fire. Makes me think of bon fires. You can go out and poke it a bit days later and toss on some new fuel and it's up and running. I dispose of mine in a graveled area and then hit it with water immediately. Helps keep weeds choked out and I run the loader bucket and re-grade the gravel every spring. Now with the pellet stove I am not producing hardly any ash comparatively speaking.

 

[boo boo]

Metal can with a tight lid 40 feet from the house

 

[DneprDave]

I don't clean the stove unless it is dead cold.

 

[Sinzitu]

I use a metal can with tight lid as well on a paver patio. I also leave the ash vac on the concrete floor in the unfinished part of the basement. It is not within 3 feet of anything flammable.. just in case.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I dump mine in the garden...

 

[Jack Morrissey]

I thought this kind of thing only happened with wood stoves:
(broken link removed to http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3677141.shtml)


Updated: 01/15/2015 12:13 PM
Created: 01/15/2015 6:18 AM WNYT.com
By: WNYT Staff

VICTORY MILLS – Two people escaped an early morning house fire in Victory Mills on Thursday. Firefighters say flames engulfed the home on Evans Street just after 2 a.m.

Christina Derby lives across the street from where the fire started. She says her husband got up to go to the bathroom when he saw the flames. “He got up, looked over, and said something about, “Get up, get up, there’s a fire. Sue’s house is on fire!” And I got up and ran downstairs because I wanted to make sure everybody got out.”

Derby says her niece’s husband, who lives next door to the home that caught fire, also saw the flames and ran inside to help. “Shannon ran up into the apartment and got [the man sleeping inside] out of there,” said Derby. “And then I came out and yelled across the road, “Is everybody out? Is everybody out?” And they said yes.”

One man was sleeping upstairs in the apartment above the garage. Another woman was sleeping in the house connected to the garage. Both escaped without injury. Firefighters say they are zeroing in on a cause.

“Right now, we’re looking at a pellet stove,” said Mike Dennison, Chief of the Victory Mills Fire Department. “The occupant cleaned the stove earlier in the night, put the discarded ashes out on the rear deck and we’re looking at that area right there.”

The apartment above the garage is considered to be a total loss.

It wasn’t just the fire that crews battled this morning, it was the cold temperatures as well. Temperatures froze hydrants, meaning water had to be trucked in by other departments. A warming station was also set up for the firefighters to help them recuperate from the cold.

 

[Jack Morrissey]

Why would you think only wood stoves could cause fires?

 

[woodmakesheat]

I use my metal can w/ metal lid sitting next to the pellet stove (it is on an extension of the hearth pad) - same ash can I used with the wood stove which had significantly hotter ashes (can often got quite toasty after shoveling the wood stove.) In fact, I never get any hot embers after my stove shuts down as the stirrer turns constantly and the air goes to full, thus quickly burning up the pellets that remain in the burn pot. Anyway, it's impossible for that stuff to burn without oxygen, so I am wondering what the devil this person did - did they dump the ashes directly on wood? Even that would be difficult to ignite! Even without a lid, how could a fire leave the cold bed of ashes that tends to smother it in the ash can? Did they accidentally put the drapes into the can?

 

[F4jock]

Not to be picky but pellets are wood. Pellet stoves burn wood pellets. Can and has also has happened with coal.

Dump mine in the gravel driveway by the road 1/4 mile from the house. Also make sure they are stirred and cold.

Stove didn't cause fire, people did. Darwin.

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm thinking it was the tenant.

 

[bogieb]

I use my metal can w/ metal lid sitting next to the pellet stove - same ash can I used with the wood stove which had significantly hotter ashes (can often got quite toasty after shoveling the wood stove.) In fact, I never get any hot embers after my stove shuts down as the stirrer turns constantly and the air goes to full, thus quickly burning up the pellets that remain in the burn pot. Anyway, it's impossible for that stuff to burn without oxygen, so I am wondering what the devil this person did - did they dump the ashes directly on wood? Even that would be difficult to ignite! Even without a lid, how could a fire leave the cold bed of ashes that tends to smother it in the ash can? Did they accidentally put the drapes into the can?

No lid and a lot of wind to blow the ashes out maybe?

I was always paranoid about hot ashes when I had a woodstove, even when everything felt cold. Am still paranoid with the pellet stove ashes.

 

[woodmakesheat]

No lid and a lot of wind to blow the ashes out maybe?

I was always paranoid about hot ashes when I had a woodstove, even when everything felt cold. Am still paranoid with the pellet stove ashes.

Huh, yes, that is possible if it was on open porch - didn't think of that - the oxygen could then actually get the embers pretty hot.

 

[alternativeheat]

Raised bed. Only thing in it is dirt and snow this time of year.. The raised bed is 30 ft from the house..

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

No lid and a lot of wind to blow the ashes out maybe?

I was always paranoid about hot ashes when I had a woodstove, even when everything felt cold. Am still paranoid with the pellet stove ashes.

An excellent thing to be paranoid about.

 

[mystove]

Ok here's my stupid story.

I shut this Englander down every day to clean the ash. Well sometimes it is freezing and I get in a hurry. Or did rather :/

I have a vintage thick white glass bowl I put ashes in. One day I put the ashes in and never gave it a thought. Well there is a round scorch mark on the hardwood floor now and I learned my lesson.

I still use the bowl for ashes but it is just as easy to throw a little water in the bowl if the ashes are not out cold. And the bowl is always left on the heart now after cleaning till I empty it out the following day before the stove is yet cleaned again.

 

[HP52NOVA]

I was dumping my ashes in my extended back yard, but was never comfortable with that, as I certainly had some pellets still in there and ended up coming back with a pitcher of water. So then I went and got one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_94614-63872...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

Put it on my asphalt driveway a few feet from the house (brick siding) and just put the ashes in there. its almost half full by now! The plan is to dispose of it all (or use it as fertilizer) at the end of the season. So, is this is a good solution, or am I doing something wrong here?

 

[velvetfoot]

I guess you have to think about whether the wind can blow it over.

 

[HP52NOVA]

I guess you have to think about whether the wind can blow it over.

I don't think so, its between two walls in a corner on a flat surface and I have a bungee cord looped around it to keep the lid tight. Even it the wind will move it, it can only go down the driveway and away from the house.

 

[Bioburner]

I hate using glass around heat. It could crack spilling contents.

 

[bogieb]

I was dumping my ashes in my extended back yard, but was never comfortable with that, as I certainly had some pellets still in there and ended up coming back with a pitcher of water. So then I went and got one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_94614-63872-1270_4294599024__?productId=3475295&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

Put it on my asphalt driveway a few feet from the house (brick siding) and just put the ashes in there. its almost half full by now! The plan is to dispose of it all (or use it as fertilizer) at the end of the season. So, is this is a good solution, or am I doing something wrong here?

Seems okay to me as long as there is brick siding on the sides and asphalt below, and the lid can't come off. I used to put a ROCK (not a wimpy rock) on top of my ash bucket lid to make sure wind couldn't make it fly off - even though the lid fit tightly. And of course, the ROCK helped make sure it didn't get blown over.

 

[heat seeker]

Mine go in a small metal trash can outside, on a non-combustible surface.

I'm wondering if they just are looking at the easiest cause of the fire, though.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have a bungee cord looped around it to keep the lid tight.

Good idea. I might do that too.