Ashes In Trash Can Spark Fire In Northwest OKC

Firefighters are once again warning people to be careful when burning fires in their fireplaces. Smoldering ashes started a fire early Monday morning in a home near N.W. 23rd Street and Classen.

A woman says she'd burned some wood in her fireplace Sunday night then swept the ashes into her trash can. She woke up around 2:30 a.m. November 28 when smoke began filling her home in the 1500 block of N.W. 22nd Street.

The woman escaped the burning home and called 911. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from the back of the house. They quickly doused the fire.

Firefighters say it appears the ashes in the trash can were still hot. They smoldered and ignited the fire. Firefighters warn people to put ashes in a non-flammable container and place them away from the house for at least a day.

The fire caused $15,000 to $20,000 in damage.