Fire Department

A fire discovered around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, which damaged an east side home and temporarily displaced one person, is believed to be caused by discarded ashes.

A passerby called 911 to report fire on the 400 block of N. Few Street. Engine Co. 3 and Medic 3 arrived on scene at 3:37 a.m. to find a single-family residence with smoke and fire coming from one corner of the building. Firefighters hit the fire from the exterior of the home and then moved to the interior. Meanwhile, Ladder Co. 1 performed search and rescue and found one person asleep in the basement. Firefighters woke the man and had him quickly evacuate.

Investigation and overhaul revealed the fire began on the exterior of the building and extended into the attic space. The occupant explained to firefighters that he had a backyard fire Friday evening, and a bag of discarded ashes was left on the corner of the building Saturday morning— the same corner where the fire began. Thanks to the call by an observant passerby, the fire was caught quickly and nobody was injured.

SAFETY TIP: It can take up to 72 hours for ashes to fully cool down after a backyard fire, grilling, or using a fireplace. Wait at least that long before discarding the ashes. When discarding the ashes, do so in a metal container or other type of container that cannot catch on fire.