Hot Embers from yule log likely cause of CT fire

[The Straight Story]

Hot Embers Likely Caused Fire



Fire investigators are reportedly focusing on the ashes of a Yule log as the cause of the fire that killed five people in Stamford Christmas morning.

Embers from the log may have been placed in a bucket as Madonna Badger and her boyfriend, Michael Borcina went to bed, according to the New York Daily News. A short time later, the house was engulfed in flames, killing Badger's three children, Lily, 10, and 7-year-old twins, Grace and Sarah and her parents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson, who were visiting for the holiday from Southbury.

Badger and Borcina both escaped the flames.

Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday that foul play had been ruled out and that the blaze was "fireplace-related." He did not elaborate.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Stamford-Fire-Yule-Log-Christmas-Madonna-Badger-136255773.html

[louis-t]

1. Sounds like the structure of the bucket failed.

The same thing happened at our house once. Luckily, someone was there to put it out. How sad.

[Warpy]

4. I clean out the woodstove and put the ashes into a heavy metal bucket outdoors to cool

and as long as 2 weeks later, I've found a few live embers in there when I've scattered the ashes into the compost or around trees and bushes. There hasn't been enough left to cause trouble, but it's an illustration of what a great insulator wood ash is and how long embers can stay live.

The only way to do it in a home is to put the ashes into a metal container and set that into the fireplace until they can be disposed of. I know too many people who used plastic pails and paper bags who regretted it very quickly.

This is so sad. I don't know how to wrap my head around such a staggering loss.

[abelenkpe]

2. Such a sad story! nt

[PatrynXX]

3. Most people

if this was actually the case would put the ash either down the hole which is in our fireplace that goes god knows where or in the bucket at least a couple days later. Especially with single burning logs because they are basically solid fuel and take forever to go out.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

5. Mr 'pede has been following this today

on the news
He lived in Stamford during HS/College years and is familiar with the neighborhood although he lived in the Skyline Drive area
We burned wood in our fireplace here in TX for the first few years and he would wait several days before cleaning out the ashes, then take the bucket outside

[undeterred]

6. Unbelievably tragic.

[BeyondGeography]

7. A head-scratcher

What's the rush to scoop the embers of a just-extinguished fire out of the fireplace at 3 a.m.? Plus, some reports say a bag was used, not a container, which is suicidal. Even if it was a container, it obviously didn't have a lid on it. Plus placing this near the trash and the structure itself is a no-no. The guy who did this is in construction. Surprised he didn't know better.