NORTHAMPTON — Two residents were displaced after the improper disposal of ashes from a smoker ignited a single-family home on Baker Hill Road on fire Wednesday morning, Northampton Assistant Fire Chief Matt Lemberg said.
Northampton Fire joined firefighters from Easthampton, Hadley, South Deerfield, Williamsburg and Hatfield in responding to reports of a structure fire at 167 Baker Hill Road at approximately 9:05 a.m. South County EMS also responded to the home.
Upon arrival, Lemberg said firefighters saw heavy smoke and a fire that was spreading into the garage. Although no one was injured, he said two residents were home at the time the fire broke out.
“It started on the outside of the house with the ashes and it burned up … the backside of the garage, into the roof of the garage and got rolling around in there,” Lemberg said.
While crews remained on scene for more than two hours, extinguishing “deep-seated” pockets of fire in the back wall, Lemberg said the majority of the blaze was knocked down within 30 to 40 minutes of the department’s arrival.
Lemberg urged the public to responsibly dispose of ashes, ensuring they are in non-flammable containers.
“When you do have ashes, make sure they’re in a fire-safe or a fireproof-type bucket, away from any combustibles, away from your house,” he said. “Keep it outside, where it can’t ignite anything close to it.”
