Fireplace Ashes Caused Watervale Blaze: Fire Marshal

Ashes that were improperly disposed of started a fire in a Bel Air home Tuesday afternoon, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

At 4:10 p.m. on Monday, a neighbor reported that a fire had broken out at a residence in the 1000 block of Amberly Court, the fire marshal said.

Firefighters from Bel Air, Fallston and Abingdon responded and brought the blaze under control within 20 minutes, the fire marshal said.

The fire, which originated in the exterior garage wall, caused $1,000 in structural damage, according to the report.

A smoke alarm was present but did not go off, according to the report, which said that improper disposal of fireplace ashes caused the fire.

The Maryland fire marshal offered this tip for getting rid of ashes: "When disposing of cooled ashes, do not use paper or plastic containers to remove them. Instead, use a metal container. Ashes will insulate hot embers long after the fire is considered out."