"Careless" woodstove ash disposal at an Auburn residence caused a small brush fire and thousands of dollars of damage.

The Howells of Star Circle Road had thrown woodstove ashes into the woods next to their 8 foot by 10 foot Quonset-style shed, believing the ashes were cold after having been left in a container for about two days. The brush was ignited by the ashes, and the fire spread to the shed.

The Auburn Fire Department and the Hooksett Fire Department responded to the scene at 10:46 a.m. and the fire was under control quickly.

"The thing we need to stress this time of year is for people to properly dispose of their woodstove ashes and not assume that they're cold," said Auburn Fire Chief Bruce Phillips. "Put them in a safe area when you dump them out. Make sure they're not in a cardboard box, plastic mud bucket, paper bag; never store them on the deck, that sort of thing. We're getting to that season where people are gonna start dumping these out, and they have to be safe."

Auburn Fire estimated that between the loss of shed itself and the equipment inside it, the fire caused approximately $5,000 in damage.

bclogston@newstote.com