Discarded Coals Start Outside Fire Between Two Homes

An outside fire broke out, burning a residential garbage receptacle to the ground, after coals from a wood-burning stove were thrown out too soon.

Engine Company 9 responded to the intersection of University Ave. and Midvale Blvd., where an unattended fire was burning between two houses and within 10 feet of a parked vehicle. Firefighters grabbed a water can extinguisher and put out the fire.

The resident who tossed out the coals said he did so an hour before, and he didn’t realize they were still hot. In fact, coals and ashes can ignite up to 72 hours after a fire.

Although the garbage can was a total loss, the nearby structures and vehicle got by unscathed.