Don’t allow a fire to keep burning overnight. If you need to go to sleep, put the embers out completely by covering them with sand. Pouring water on a fire inside can damage your fireplace. If sand is not available, you can smother a fire with salt or baking soda. NEVER use flour on a fire. Flour is combustible and potentially explosive. Even small amounts can cause a ‘mist’ and each grain can catch fire, like setting off fireworks, which can spread fire to humans, pets, and clothing / belongings.
Don’t start an outdoor fire if you don’t have time to let the embers cool properly. Avoid putting out your fire with water, which can wash away flammable accelerant.
Never use buckets or shovels made of any combustible materials, such as wood.
There’s no need to have standing water in the bucket, but it doesn’t hurt. As long as you’re okay with a little mess, you can use as much water as you like.
Before adding ashes, measure the starting PH of your garden soil with a soil PH meter. These can be purchased inexpensively online. How much ash to add depends on the starting PH of your soil, but most plants thrive at a PH between 6-7. 5. [8] X Research source Adding ash will neutralize acids in your soil, so only add it if your starting PH is higher than 7. You can do this with damp or dry ashes; it is up to you.
