Firefighters knock down garage fire in Port Townsend

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Firefighters from East Jefferson Fire Rescue quickly doused a garage fire Saturday afternoon in Port Townsend.

Emergency crews responded to a home on Beech Street near its intersection with M Street just after 1:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in response to a 911 call.

Firefighters found flames and smoke on the side of a garage when they arrived.

The fire was quickly put out.

The blaze was apparently sparked when hot ashes from a wood stove had been put inside a plastic compost bucket.

The homeowner thought the ashes had been cold and did not contain hot coals, officials said.

East Jefferson Fire Rescue is reminding residents to take proper precautions when cleaning out wood stoves.

“It is important to keep hot ashes away from any flammable material both inside and outside,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Tracer. “Remember to use metal buckets and do not use plastic ones when disposing of the ruminates of a fire.”

More tips on fire prevention can be found on the fire department’s website at https://www.ejfr.org/information/fire-prevention/ and https://www.ejfr.org/information/seasonal-safety/.