A Sykesville family escaped injury after a small fire that damaged part of their home Sunday morning, January 31.

Just before 9:00, fire crews responded to the 900 block of Central Avenue for a fire that was reported already out. When crews arrived, they found fire from a trash can that caused minor damage to the exterior of the home.

Fire crews worked to overhaul the affected part of the house to make sure that there was no fire extension to the building. No one was injured in the incident.

The homeowner told fire officials that he had been cooking and discarded hot oil and other materials into a plastic trash bag, which was placed in the can next to the house.

Sykesville fire officials are pleased that a tragedy was averted, but want to use the incident as a teaching moment. Always allow hot cooking materials to cool before discarding them. And never put hot items of any kind inside a plastic trash bag. It's also a good idea to keep your trash cans away from the house to prevent a fire from spreading to the building.