A bucket of hot ash from a wood burning stove is being blamed for igniting a house fire west of Assaria Thursday morning. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office reports that no one was injured after firefighters were sent to 2829 W. Salemsborg Road around 2:45am to put down a blaze that started on the home’s exterior. The homeowner told authorities the wind knocked over an ash bucket outside the house and started the blaze which damaged three converted pickup bed trailers and exterior siding on the home. A crew from Rural Fire District #2 responded to quell the blaze. Total loss and damage is estimated at $4,400.