Fireplace ashes can be deceiving. Just ask anyone involved in the nearly 11,600 residential building fires in the U.S. each year that federal safety officials say are caused by hot embers or ashes.
It appears that Michael Borcina was among those duped. Fire officials in Stamford, Conn. Say a bag of fireplace ashes Borcina left near the back of the home where he was staying caused a fire early Christmas morning that killed his friend's three children and their two grandparents. Borcina and the mother, Madonna Badger, escaped the blaze after failed attempts to rescue the young girls.
The fire has led to renewed safety warnings by federal and local authorities.
"What often happens and it's a pretty common scenario that we see, is that although the fire may look out, the embers in the ashes may remain hot enough to start a fire for up to 24 hours after the fire is thought to be out," said Tom Olshanski, a spokesman for the US Fire Administration.
Olshanski and local fire officials in Stamford and other communities urged homeowners this week to put fireplace ashes in a metal container and place it well away from the house. If you leave hot ashes in the fireplace, make sure there's a metal screen or glass partition in place, they said. And, of course, make sure you have working smoke detectors, they advised.
University of Vermont men's basketball coach John Becker and his family could have suffered a tragedy similar to the one in Stamford on Tuesday. A construction worker who happened to be passing by the Beckers' home noticed it was on fire and woke the family up around 6:30 a.m.
Burlington's fire marshal, Terry Francis, said the fire was caused by ashes in a paper bag that was placed on the back porch of the home the night before. Becker, his wife, and their daughter escaped.
TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE
- Overbuilt fires can ignite creosote in the chimney, so don't use too much paper to build fires.
- Never burn charcoal indoors; it can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
- Keep flammable materials away from the mantel.
- Be sure a fire is out before you go to sleep.
- Never break a synthetic log apart or use more than one at a time; they often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.
- Never close the damper with hot ashes in the fireplace; it could cause the fire to heat up and force carbon monoxide into the house.
- Make sure there's a metal screen or glass partition in place if you leave ashes in the fireplace.
- If you scoop ashes, put them in a metal container and place it well away from the house. Embers can remain hot enough to start a fire as long as a day later.
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