Hot ashes cause Lombard home’s siding to catch fire

A plastic container of ashes cost a Lombard family nearly $50,000 after the cinders caused a fire outside their home Saturday night, fire officials said.

On Friday night, two children were burning twigs outside their home on the 600 block of North Edgewood Avenue. They gathered the ashes when they were done, placed them in a plastic garbage can and put the can next to the house, Lombard Fire Battalion Chief Ron Rakosnik said.

By 7 p.m. Saturday, the ashes had heated up and melted the plastic, which caused the vinyl siding on the home to catch fire. A neighbor spotted the fire and quickly called it in.

“Ashes don’t cool down quickly, especially when they’re in a container together,” Rakosnik said.

The fire worked its way into the house but only caused slight damage, according to Rakosnik.

“There was some smoke damage inside [the home], but no direct flame contact,” he said.

The homeowners have been temporarily displaced.

Lombard Fire Department officials estimate the damages are between $40,000 and $50,000.