• Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Quick and Easy Meals
    • Salad and Veggies
    • Side Dishes
    • Main Courses
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Canning and Preserving
  • Skills
    • Craftmanship
      • Blacksmithing
      • Woodworking
      • Welding
    • Brewing & Distilling
      • Homebrewing
      • Distilling
    • Cooking & Food
      • Cheese & Dairy
      • Drying & Smoking
      • Canning
      • Fermentation & Pickling
    • Homemaking Skills
      • Candle Making
      • Soap Making
      • Spinning & Weaving
  • Projects
    • Workshop
      • Homes & Buildings
      • Sheds & Coops
      • Appliances & Equipment
    • Garden & Outdoor
    • Homemade Products
      • Home Remedies
      • Natural Beauty
      • Cleaning and Home
    • Textiles & Fabric Arts
      • Sewing
      • Knit and Crochet
      • Quilting Skills
      • Weaving
    • Crafts
      • Home Decor
      • Pottery
      • Upcycling
      • Gifts
      • Kids
      • Holiday
  • Gardening
    • Growing Vegetables
    • Growing Fruit
    • Growing Herbs
    • Growing Grain
    • Soil Improvement
      • Composting
      • Worm Farming
      • Fertilizers
    • Aquaculture
  • Animals
    • Raising Poultry
    • Raising Goats
    • Raising Cattle
    • Raising Pigs
    • Raising Horses
    • Raising Rabbits
    • Raising Bees
    • Raising Cats & Dogs
  • Self Sufficiency
    • Emergency Prep
      • Planning
      • How To
      • Skills & Tips
    • Defense & Protection
      • Guns
      • Knives
      • Archery
      • Tools & Weapons
    • Energy & Power
      • Solar Power
      • Fuels
      • Water
    • Home Remedies
Logo
  • Emergency Prep
  • Defense & Protection
  • Energy & Power
  • Home Remedies
  • OUR SHOP
You are here: Home / Homesteading News / Prevent House Fire With This One Important Step

Prevent House Fire With This One Important Step

Reading Time: 2 minutes

March 13, 2023 By Lisa Loperfido 2 Comments

My parents’ house almost burned down yesterday in Prescott, AZ. Luckily, my father saw the smoke early and was able to call the Fire Department before the flames fully caught the house on fire. Here’s what went wrong, and how to never let this happen to your home.

house fire 2

It was a cold morning, early January 3rd, 2016 in Prescott, AZ. The first Sunday of the new year. As told by Michael Loperfido:

“Caught this fire in the nick of time. Going out the back door this morning…saw smoke coming from the porch deck, just then a small flame shot up right where the deck attaches to the house. Got a bucket of water and doused the flame but the smoldering would not stop…after several more buckets the smoldering led me to think there was potentially more fire. Called 911 and the fire trucks came out and chain-sawed the deck, then hosed the cross-beams which were half burned through. The fire dept did a thorough inspection in the crawl space and walls to ensure the fire had not spread.

This is when I am personally very grateful and thankful for the fire department. Had another half hour gone by undetected the woodpile would have caught and then the wood frame house as well.

Admitted error on my part was the cause of the fire and nothing else. I put the ashes from the previous night’s wood stove fire into a paper bag at about three in the afternoon. The fire had been out about 16 hours. The bag was not hot. I placed the bag under the wood pile to keep it dry to sprinkle on driveway and walkway ice.

To my surprise, ashes found their way to the deck and then fired. Lesson learned – ashes go in metal ash can with cover and should be kept away from house.”

Prescott Fire Dept inspects the premise.
Prescott Fire Dept inspects the premise.
Fireman chainsaws away fire-damage to ensure the area is safe from embers.
Fireman chainsaws away fire-damage to ensure the area is safe from embers.
burnt porch - showing fire damage
Burnt Porch – Showing Fire Damage
Burnt Porch Fire Damage - After fireman removed burnt wood beams with chainsaw.
Burnt Porch w/Fire Damage after fireman removed burnt wood beams with chainsaw.

So remember folks, NEVER assume a fire is completely out, even if it’s just ashes. ALWAYS dispose of ashes in a fire-safe bin with lid. A metal ash can with lid is a homesteader’s best friend – buy one here.
Glad you didn’t burn down the entire house Dad! Love you.


Do you have any house-scares of your own? Or perhaps more fire-safety tips? Share with us in the comments.

Sign up for our newsletter for up-to-date tips, tricks, and homesteading tidbits.

Related:

  • Wood Burning Stove Tips

  • 36 Cold Weather Hacks to Keep You Cozy This Winter

 

Filed Under: Homesteading News Tagged With: homesteading news

Trackbacks

  1. Wood Burning Stove Tips | How to Start Your Fire & Keep It Burning Safely - The Peoples Health Alliance - NZ says:
    February 27, 2023 at 9:16 PM

    […] WARNING – Always dispose of your embers or ash in a Metal Ash Tin. Do this even if they haven’t been burning for hours, or you could end up burning your whole house down! DO THIS, so you won’t end up LIKE THIS! […]

    Reply
  2. Prevent House Fire With This One Important Step | Best Craft Hacks says:
    March 13, 2023 at 2:49 AM

    […] Read the full article here […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

DIY Projects And Get This FREE GIFT
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Articles

Top 15 Ways To Make Money On Your Homestead

Kickstart Spring By Starting Your Own Straw Bale Garden

The Best Egg Laying Chickens For Your Homestead

50 Gardening Tips And Tricks To Become A Successful Homesteader

Important Pages

  • About Homesteading
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Returns
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Information Disclaimer

Other Great Sites

  • DIY Projects
  • Survival Life
  • Garden Season
  • Outdoor Warrior
  • Sewing.com

Resources

  • Hey Riley
  • Winter Survival
  • Raising Backyard Chickens
  • Canning & Preserving
  • Join Our Newsletter
  • Returns Policy
Homesteading
Email Support: support@homesteading.com
Phone: 512-806-7603

Product returns go to:
1889 E Maule Ave, Ste G
Las Vegas 89119

Copyright © 2025 · Homesteading


This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. The information presented here is for general educational purposes only.

MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the persons or businesses mentioned in or linked to from this page and may receive commissions from purchases you make on subsequent web sites. You should not rely solely on information contained in this email to evaluate the product or service being endorsed. Always exercise due diligence before purchasing any product or service. This website contains advertisements.