Four housemates have narrowly escaped with their lives after a mistake in disposing of hot ash ignited a fire that engulfed their home.
The tenants managed to flee the home in Blakeview Adelaidenorth after being woken around 2:30 a.m. Monday by smoke filling their bedrooms.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire after it tore through the front room, destroying about $25,000 worth of electronics and gaming equipment.
The fire appears to have started after ashes from a fire pit at the house were dumped into a dumpster.
But the ashes were not completely extinguished and about 14 hours later another fire was ignited by the embers.
The incident comes weeks after another fire, started by ash dumped unsafely in a bin, caused around $30,000 in damage to a Dover Gardens home.
Four housemates managed to escape a devastating fire ignited by ash dumped in a garbage bin that tore through the house, causing around $300,000 in damage (pictured)
CCTV footage shows the fire spreading beyond the front of the house before one of the housemates, Shannon Roe, can be heard saying, “Oh what the fuck… Get up!”
“I woke up coughing and tried to go back to sleep because I thought I was just being overdramatic,” Roe told 7News.
He managed to help his housemates and pets escape to their backyard, where they had to remain until the fire was extinguished.
The total cost of the damage is expected to be more than $300,000, but Mr Roe said he was just glad no lives were lost.
‘The most important thing is that I’m happy that everyone is safe. At the end of the day, they are assets, we can replace them, but we cannot replace people,” he said.
“It’s not something you expect to happen.”
One of the residents, Shannon Roe (pictured), said he was glad no lives were lost in the fire
The residents are now forced to move back in with family as they look for another rental home.
Fire and waste authorities warned residents not to throw ashes into household, plastic or municipal bins unless they have completely cooled and are free of embers.
“Ashes and charcoal can go into your green bin, but only once fully extinguished and cold,” the state’s recycling campaign, Which Bin, warns on its website.
‘If wood, charcoal or ash is still hot it could burn your bin or cause fires in the collection vehicles, damaging equipment and endangering drivers.’