Two people without a home after wood stove fire in Amherst

The cause of a house fire last night in Ammerst is still being investigated. Officials believed it started around a wood stove that was being used at the time. >> 22 News reporter Sarah Bianay joining us live in studio with tips on how to prevent the most common causes of house fires during the winter. >> Yeah, Nick officials found the homeowner trying to put out this fire. Take a look at the aftermath. Around 4 Tuesday afternoon, the Ammeris Fire Department received 911 calls from passerbys who saw smoke coming out the front door and second floor window of a home on Bridge Street in North Ammerst. >> And when our crews uh got there, they found that there was a fire in the living room and uh burning through the floor into the crawl space below. Thanks to Ammeris Police Department, water department, town's building, and electrical inspectors, a number of firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the active fire in about an hour. Due to the fire damage and the fact that the wood stove was the only source of heat for the home, the building inspectors deemed this house to be uninhabitable. Although there were no injuries, two residents were displaced. >> Yeah, unfortunately, um, the wood stove that started the fire was the only source of heat for the home. So without that running, uh, freezing pipes would have been an issue. So we had to have the water shut off to the home. >> 22 News spoke with the owner who's been living at the house for 40 years. He says it's a simple yet common mistake in the area. >> One of the biggest causes we've seen in Amoris fires related to wood stoves is due to the ashes. Uh, people don't understand that the ashes can actually start a fire a couple of days after you take them out of a fireplace or a wood stove. It's always advised to use a metal bucket for the ashes, then place it on stone or concrete to cool down. Now, the second leading cause of home fires are chimney fires. It's recommended to get it cleaned annually. working for you. Sarah BMA 22 News.