Dispose of Burnt Firewood and Ash Safely
Even though a fire may appear to be out, embers and ash are still capable of causing fires accidentally. Re-ignition from smoldering fireplace ashes continues to be responsible for death and injury. Consequently, proper disposal of fireplace ashes and hot embers is important to prevent house fires.
Contents
Steps
Outside the Fireplace
- Gather your supplies. Check the "Things You'll Need" Section below for a list of necessary items.
- Fill the container. Fill a steamer pot with water until it is about two to four inches (five to ten centimeters) above the basket. It should be high enough to fully submerge all log pieces and ash.
- Submerge the logs and ash. Wearing fireproof gloves, place the log pieces and ash into the basket. Don't over-fill: if you have more material than your pot will hold, repeat the process until everything has been fireproofed.
- Make sure each log is completely submerged in water.
- Using the metal spoon, scoop all ash into the pot.
- Stir the pot making sure to break up any clumps and fully submerge all ash.
- Let the logs and ash soak for ten minutes. This will give the water a chance to seep into any cracks and extinguish any possible smoking embers.
- Raise insert out of pot. Allow it to drain over the pot.
- Place the insert onto a pan. This will prevent ashy water from draining on the floor while you complete the next step
- Dispose of the water. Wood ash helps fertilize and improve the quality of your yard's soil, so spread evenly across your yard for best effect.
- Discard the logs. The logs are now able to be safely disposed of normally, in a plastic or paper garbage bag.
Inside the Fireplace
- Let it die. Under most circumstances, closing the fireplace screen or doors (never the flue!) and letting the fire die naturally is the easiest, cleanest method of extinguishing a fire.
- Let the embers sit overnight or longer. Most all the embers should be reduced to ash or cold lumps of charcoal. Stir the ash, and place your hand close to the ash to feel any heat sources that would indicate live embers. It should feel uniformly cool.
- Sand it. An alternate method to extinguish any remaining embers is to cover in sand, and let sit overnight.
Tips
- The United States Forest Service has an excellent guide describing how to extinguish a campfire outdoors, though there is no clear instruction given about how to extinguish a fire in an indoor fireplace. https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety/how-to-maintain-and-extinguish-your-campfire
Warnings
- Do not ever pour water onto an indoor fireplace. It can cause expensive damage to your fireplace, and allow smoke and carbon monoxide into your home.
- Wait until the flames have disappeared to start the process.
- Wear fire resistant gloves to prevent accidental burns
Things You'll Need
- Steamer Pot (also called a Frying Pot or Boiling Pot) is a pot with a removable perforated insert
- Fire Poker
- Large Metal Spoon
- Metal Pan (optional)
- Fire resistant (fireplace) Gloves
- Water
- Trash Bag
