An afternoon fire caused by some hot ash on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids caused significant damage to the structure, fire department officials said.
At around 12:39 p.m., the Cedar Rapids Fire Department was sent to a report of a fire in a garage at 6040 Crestridge Drive SW. Firefighters immediately began to battle the fire, which was visible as smoke and flames in the attached garage at the home. After the flames were extinguished, officials found that significant damage occurred in the garage, as well as fire spreading into the eaves and attic.
Firefighters believe the fire was started by hot ash that had been placed into a Yardy container outside of the garage. The fire started and spread to the garage then the house. Officials said that fireplace ash should be placed into a metal container with a lid before disposal.