The Orofino Volunteer Fire Dept. Friday afternoon responded to a house fire at 216 Tamarack, which is in the vicinity of Clearwater Valley Hospital. The house belongs to June Finke.
According to Fire Chief Mike Lee the call was turned in by a neighbor at 3:15 that afternoon. No one was home at the time the fire started.
Lee said the fire was started by a bucket of hot ashes sitting by a basement wall. The wall caught on fire. He estimates $25,000 damage to the house.
Fire Chief Lee cautions residents when they clean their stoves to dispose of the ashes properly and to make sure the ashes are cool. He suggests taking the ashes outside and putting water on them.
He said the fire department has responded the last 10 years to six to eight fires caused by hot ashes that were not properly disposed of.