A cautionary tale.

[Alphonse]

Great reminder.

I dumped some "cold" ashes out of my offset in my compost pile one day. I found the wet compost pile the next day with several huge worm holes smouldering away. If it would have been dry, it would have set the woods on fire!

[Attjack]

I use a medium galvanized trash can to dump coals into from ash catchers or the fire pit. I also quit trying to reuse briquettes although I certainly relight the lump in my kamado on the regular. It always pays to rethink your safety protocols when nothing bad has happened. I have a gas grill, griddle, and a kamado on the wood floor of my outdoor kitchen. The kettles are on dirt currently and will be upgraded to pavers hopefully this year. I keep a fire extinguisher in and have a hose next to the outdoor kitchen.

[Rob Johnston]

Glad it was nothing more and you are OK!

[Jfrosty27]

Whenever I dump ash or old partially spent coals I put them in a metal bucket and always hit them with a heavy dose of water no matter how long they have been sitting there. Many times I had them sizzle a bit or even more.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Yeah, I have a galvanized bucket with a lid, plus a lining of aluminum foil. No problems so far...knock on wood.

[klflowers]

I set a can on fire a few years ago. Luckily it was the main trash can in front of the house, and it was far enough away from the house that the can was the only thing damaged. I thought the coals were out too; a few hours after I dumped them in the can the can pretty much exploded into flames. I learned my lesson - I have a galvanized can on the deck now, and if it is within a couple of days of using the coals, I move the can into the yard after I dump the coals. I made a spot with some playground sand to set the can on.

[holehogg]

Good point and save you from being called an ash-hole

[scottranda]

Geez. Glad it wasn’t worse.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I always wait a week before disposing of my fireplaces ashes for this very reason. Had a surprise after 48 hours one time!

[DavidNorcross]

We sure learn something every day when playing with fire. Great advice. Thank you for sharing.

[RonB]

Background:
My Kettle is on my wooden deck, but I have ceramic tiles under it to prevent fires. I have two galvanized buckets - one for ashes and one for partially used coals. I line the ash bucket with a plastic bag to make dumping the ashes easier. I always wait at least 24 hours before dumping ashes in the ash bucket for safety. The bucket also sits on the tiles.

A few days ago I dumped some ashes in the ash bucket, did something and came back to put the top on it. However, there was a large hole in the plastic bag. At first I thought it had torn, but a closer look showed that it had melted. I don't know why there were still coals hot enough to melt the plastic after an overnight stay in the closed Kettle, but obviously there were, so please be careful with your ashes folks.

It couldn't have been much because there was no smoke or smell, but it opened my eyes...