3rd Charlotte house fire caused by charcoal ashes

For the third time in recent months, discarded charcoal ashes caused a house fire in Charlotte.

The latest happened Monday at a home in the 5700 block of Glenhill Court in northwest Charlotte when charcoal ashes from a grill were put into a plastic garbage can, fire officials said. Glenhill Court is off Toddville and Tuckaseegee roads.

The fire spread up the side of the home to the attic, according to the Charlotte Fire Investigation Task Force.

Two people were inside the home but were uninjured. Firefighters rescued two cats from the home.

The fire started about 5:15 p.m., and firefighters had it under control in 24 minutes.

“Memorial Day is just a few days away, and that means more people will be thinking about grilling outside,” Charlotte Fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Robbins Shah-Khan said. “It’s critically important to follow all instructions when using gas or charcoal grills.”

Charcoal can stay warm and can be a fire hazard for a long time, she said, so make sure coals are completely cooled before disposing of them in a metal container with a metal lid, away from anything flammable.

Warm ashes can smolder – sometimes for days – in a plastic garbage can or rollout container before catching materials inside the container, as well as the container itself, on fire, Robbins Shah-Khan said.

From 2007 to 2011, fire departments across the United States responded to nearly 9,000 house fires a year caused by grills, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 7:27 AM with the headline "3rd Charlotte house fire caused by charcoal ashes."