Improper disposal of ashes is the believed cause of a recent Caesarea fire

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

SCUGOG: A house fire in Caesarea, in the early morning of Tuesday, January 24th, according to Scugog Fire officials, is estimated to have caused $50,000 in damages.

Scugog firefighters were called to a residence at 34 Park Street, in Caesarea, a little after 4 a.m.

“The fire appeared to have ignited on the deck and spread to the home, at the rear of the structure,” Fire Chief Mark Berney told The Standard.

Gord Mahaffy, a neighbour of the residence, wrote in an email to The Standard, the fire department’s “response was quick” and the “flames were brought under control very quickly, but the house was full of dense smoke.”

“The initial response involved three full-size fire engines arriving. A fourth fire truck arrived a few minutes later but cleared the scene almost immediately, as the situation was well under control,” Mr. Mahaffy added.

The Fire Chief believes this fire was caused by “hot ashes improperly discarded.”

“This unfortunate fire reminds us of the importance of discarding fireplace/wood stove ashes. Discarded ashes must be placed in a metal fire-resistant container, then saturated with water and [isolated] outside away from combustibles,” Chief Berney stressed.