St. Charles house fire caused by discarded ashes

A house fire Sunday afternoon in west suburban St. Charles was caused by discarded ashes from a recreational fire.

Firefighters were called by a neighbor at 1:41 p.m. to a house at 1822 S. Third Place and arrived three minutes later, the St. Charles Fire Department said in a statement.

The fire burned from the outside of the house to the attic and inside, the fire department said. Flames under control in about 30 minutes. No one was home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was found to be ashes discarded into a plastic garbage can from a recreational fire Saturday night, the department said. The damage was estimated at $125,000. The home was not habitable, but the Red Cross was assisting the occupants.