AMHERST — A storage shed at a North Amherst home was destroyed Nov. 29 after ashes from a wood stove, left in a bucket, caught combustible substances stored inside on fire, according to the Amherst Fire Department.
Firefighters were dispatched to 97 Van Meter Drive at 4:13 a.m. when homeowners called to report their shed, located about 25 feet from the house, was fully engulfed, said Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson.
Nelson said the fire caused about $2,000 in damage, including the cost of the shed and a generator stored inside it. The fire also scorched branches and leaves on nearby trees.
The residents were alerted by their dog, which began barking.
Nelson said a homeowner is blaming embers in the plastic bucket.
“He put out the ashes a day prior, and then put them in the shed where they store compostables and recyclables,” Nelson said.
But the ashes were likely still smoldering, Nelson said.
Nelson said residents with wood stoves and fireplaces should take precautions to make sure the ashes are not hot. He suggests taking ashes out in a metal bucket and setting them well away form the home, including not placing them on porches.
“The best way to make sure ashes are cold is to pour them out and wet them down,” Nelson said.
Otherwise, he said, deep down in a bucket hot spots can remain, even a day or two later.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.