Features

Fire Department Log

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Tuesday July 27, 2004

Charcoal Ashes Ignite Deck 

A newspaper-wrapped bundle of charcoal ashes wasn’t quite as dead as a Berkeley resident believed when he dumped them into his plastic trash barrel Friday. 

Fire Department engines arriving at his 2901 Forest Ave. home at 2:36 a.m. Saturday found his rear fence ablaze and flames eating their way through the rear deck and beginning to scorch the rear door to the house. 

By the time the blaze was extinguished, the total damage had hit about $10,500, said Deputy Fire Marshal Wayne Inouye. 

“This happens fairly often here. People put their ashes into cardboard boxes, only to later discover that they weren’t all extinguished,” Inouye said.