Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched at 11:23 a.m. on Thursday to a house fire in the 1,000 block of Talley Road.
Lt. Scott Sparks with Engine 15 said an alert neighbor saw flames next to his neighbor's garage and called 911. When Engine 15 arrived on the scene, Lt. Sparks said a trash can next to the garage was engulfed in flames and the fire was spreading to an exterior wall of the garage.
Lt. Sparks said the firefighters attacked the fire aggressively and had most of it out in roughly five minutes. No one was injured.
The dollar loss was estimated at roughly $3,000, but it could have been much worse, since the garage is attached to the house. The cause of the fire will be ruled accidental. A resident of the house told firefighters that he emptied the ashes from his fireplace into the garbage can, thinking they had cooled off.
To properly dispose of ashes or coals, the Chattanooga Fire Department recommends the following:
- If possible, allow ashes and coals to cool in the area where you had the fire for several days. The fireplace or grill is designed to contain their heat safely.
- When it's time to dispose of the ashes, transfer them to a metal container and wet them down.
- Keep the container outside your home and away from any combustibles until the refuse is hauled away.
- Do not use galvanized containers as hot coals on the galvanized metal will release noxious fumes.
- Do not place other combustibles in the container.
- Do not use a combustible container