In recent days, several household waste containers have caught fire in the Grand Narbonne area due to ashes from fireplaces that are still too hot. The community is calling on residents to be more careful.
“For several days, throughout the territory of Greater Narbonne, household waste containers have caught fire due to chimney ashes deposited when they had not completely cooled, requiring the intervention of the firefighters”regrets the community of communes on its Facebook account, Monday January 6, 2025.
Faced with these reckless actions, the community recalls the dangers that arise from these hasty deposits: “The fires caused can spread to nearby homes and vehicles. This is also dangerous for the collection agents who handle these bins to empty them into the truck, whose skip could also catch fire.”
Wait 48 hours before throwing away the ashes
To avoid any risk of fire, it is strongly recommended to wait 48 hours before placing the fireplace ashes in the containers. Furthermore, rather than throwing them away, fireplace ashes can be used for many activities, whether in the house or the garden.
The ash, once sifted to keep only the finest, can be used to clean the glass of the fireplace, a stove or an oven. Simply apply with a damp cloth. Ash can also be used as laundry detergent: an economical, ecological and effective solution. To do this, you need to keep the ashes fine, add boiling water to them, let it sit for a day. Once filtered, the solution obtained can be kept for two months for washing laundry.
Wood ash can also be used in the garden: it promotes flowering and fruiting. Whether lawns, rose bushes, flowering shrubs, orchards or vegetable gardens, all parts of the garden can receive wood ash, in small quantities, except heather plants (rhododendron, camellia, azalea). , heather). It is also an excellent, natural and safe repellent for snails and slugs.
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