How to Safely Dispose of Fireplace Ashes
Burning a Yule log this holiday season? Here are some tips for safely cleaning out your fireplace or woodstove.
If you're getting cozy around a fire in your fireplace or woodstove this holiday season, make sure you know what to do when the fire goes out and it's time to clean up those ashes. The most important thing to remember? Never put ashes in a paper or plastic bag, cardboard box or plastic bucket. “Embers, often concealed in what appears to be cold ashes, can remain hot enough to rekindle a fire for several days,” said Montgomery County Fire Chief Richard Bowers in a statement released by the county. The Department of Environmental Protection recommends only placing ashes out for collection with regular household trash if they have been thoroughly soaked with water in a metal ash bucket with a tight-fitting metal lid. Any container holding …
