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HOMEOWNER’S SHOULD BE WAREY OF ASHES

This message is to the citizens of Dudley as well as other communities from Chief Jeffrey E. Phelps of Dudley Fire and Emergency Services. This message is pertaining to the usage of any solid fuel type heating appliances. These can be deemed as any of the following; woodstove, wood furnaces, coal stove and pellet stoves.

Our Department recently has had the unfortunate opportunity to respond to several structure fires. Some of these were the result of careless disposal of ashes from any one of these types of heating units. As a Fire Chief and a trained fire professional, I would like to remind everyone that operates these types of appliances how to dispose of the ashes properly. These appliances can produce a large amount of ashes and you may think they are cold and will not burn anything. WRONG!! These ashes need to be disposed of properly. They need to be placed in a non-combustible container such as a steel container/pail.

Ashes may seem cold but can retain heat for several days. Placing them in cardboard boxes, plastic containers/pails and paper or plastic bags is not a very wise decision. People have on occasion used vacuum cleaners and they have caught fire. This is a very dangerous and costly mistake. Do not place them in your vehicle, on your wooden decks, or store them in you garage or basement.

Once you empty the appliance of ashes and have them in the metal container, you should sprinkle water, stir, and then place them outside. When placing the ashes outside, be sure they are placed far enough away from any structure, especially your home. Some people dump them into gardens to add to the soil.

As an additional note, when operating any type of solid fuel heating appliance, be sure to keep combustible items far enough away from the front, back and sides when it is in operation. These appliances emit vast amount of radiant heat at a very high temperature. A good rule to remember is to keep items thirty-six inches away from all sides or what the manufacturer of the appliance requires.

If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact your local fire department. We would rather answer your questions than respond to put a fire out that could have been avoided. The Fire Service is all about fire and personal safety and educating the public. Please have a safe and enjoyable winter and holiday season.