Great way to do it, @yoginiofoz. Suffocate the embers - a metal can with a lid is also what I use. It looks like a mini metal trash can that you'd expect Oscar from Sesame Street to live in..haha
You're lucky to have great neighbors! Garbage cans are perfect fire starters and plastic trash bins will turn into a river of flames that can spread fire rapidly. Very scary stuff, indeed. Fire is something to respect. Material possession can be replaced, but human life cannot.
Amen!