Fireplace ashes that were thrown away were found to be the cause of a fire Sunday afternoon. Monona Fire and EMS Department was called around 1:30 p.m. to the 6200 block of Winnequah Road for a building fire and arrived about four minutes later, according to a news release. Monona Police Department noted that there was smoke and flames on the side of a house. Firefighters were able to put the fire out within 10 minutes and said that damage was limited to the garbage can. There was also “light damage” to the enclosure that the receptacle was in, Monona Fire noted. The fire department reminded residents that ashes should be placed in a metal or non-combustible container in an outside space. Firefighters added that it is also a good idea to add water to ashes to cool them down, as well as leave them out for several days to cool down before placing them in a garbage.