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FIRE!!!

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T O P I C R E V I E W
bramble	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 09:44:57 AM Last night, I ran out for a whole 10 minutes to the laundry room. I came back in and immediately noticed thick dark smoke. The pillar candle I was burning in a tall hurricane globe was on fire. Not just the wick or a little bit of wax. Large tall flames were reaching up to the ceiling and I was in shock. I quickly covered the hurricane globe opening with a plate to cut off the oxygen and waited for the fire to die out. Opening all the doors and windows to ventilate (it was below freezing last night) I realized all my guys were sleeping and the smoke detector had not gone off. What if I had zipped out to the market late or ... My heart raced as I thought of how fast this could have been a catastrophe. After everything cooled down I looked at the candle to see what happened. It was a "gift basket" candle made in china and it basically collapsed on itself and caught fire. Scary! I have never had a candle do this before but will definitely stick to my tried and true brands from here on out. So, with all that being said ladies...CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS and NEVER leave candles unattended. Just because it was in the globe I thought it was safe, now I know better. Have a safe and beautiful holiday without any fire disasters. with a happy heart
25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
herbquilter	Posted - Oct 14 2007 : 10:29:04 PM It is amazing how fast a fire can destroy a house. April 4, 2001 our house burnt up (not down) because most things melt, ruined by smoke or water. From a small fire to completly engulfed in 10 minutes. The 3 kids,of our large family, were home got out safe & everything was destroyed, except our marriage cert., genealogy & the corning ware in the dishwasher. The challenges with a fire don't end there;the insurance company tried to rip us off, so we hired a independant adjuster that really helped us and we had some people go into the burnt house & went through personal papers, finding a partically burnt checkbook of mine causing hovic of identity theft. BUT it has all worked out great. We took most of the content money, sold the burnt property & bought a great farmhouse on a acre. We're all safe & happy! What more could we want. Check your insurance policy carefully! Blessings, Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist www.herbalmomma.com
katmom	Posted - Oct 14 2007 : 8:27:44 PM This post was origionaly posted last Dec, but it's worth bumping up again. With the Holiday season upon us, lets follow the good advice from Susie,Dani, Anne & Alee.... Our families are way to important to loose over an unattended candle or clogged dryer vent or because we just didn't get around to checking our smoke detectors. Remember to replace ALL the batteries in ALL the smoke detectors in your house once a year. A $9 investment for a new smoke detector is cheap compared to replacing a home & it's contents, and you CAN NOT replace beloved family members! >^..^< Happiness is being a katmom. www.katmom4.blogspot.com
Alee	Posted - Oct 10 2007 : 1:30:16 PM Another thing to consider is how close your trees and shrubs are too your house, these can be fire dangers as well if a power line sparks or if outdoor decorations cause fire. Also consider this- Smoke rises and pushes oxygen lower. One of the most dangerous bed types (according to my firefighter uncle) is bunk beds. The child who sleeps on the top is not only at risk for falling out, but they are at a greater danger to smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation which can lead to them not waking when they hear the fire alarm and even death! Yikes! Alee The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
Libbie	Posted - Oct 09 2007 : 06:43:33 AM Now that it's wood stove/fireplace season, these are such good reminders! Thanks for bumping this one up... While you all are at it, go ahead and have your chimney swept, or do it yourselves - that can be a real fire hazard, too. Be safe!!![:0} XOXO, Libbie
Alee	Posted - Oct 08 2007 : 2:45:20 PM Dani- Thanks for the timely warning. With the start of cooler weather, we will all be coming in, enjoying candles, lanters, christmas lights and other such things. The dryers are a huge hazard and really should be cleaned out every month. To really clean out your dryer, unplug it, pull away from wall and remove the rear panel. You will be horrified to see how much lint is in there just floating around next to the heating coils. Just do a quick vacuum with the brush attachment and vacuum out that hose while you are at it. Also please make sure that your children know the way to safety, how to check for fire behind closed doors and if they are on the second floor, please make sure they have a safety escape ladder. My uncle is a Fire Captain of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. He stresses taking these safety measures. Alee The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
Giraffe4223	Posted - Oct 08 2007 : 2:22:44 PM Right now I work for a fire Extinguisher company and I can't stress enough on checking your smoke detectors, keeping an extinguisher around, and having a "PLAN" incase a fire does happen. Did you know that keeping a toaster plugged into the wall can cause a fire? Also Extension cords, my mother in law has tons of them! FIRE waiting to happen, she overloads them and plugs one into another. NOT GOOD Keeping an extinguisher under the kitchen sink, in the laundry room, and in the agarage is a good start. If you have a fire place you should have one near by as well. Ever think about all the lint that it in the hose in the back of your dryer? YOu should check this. My husband and I did and found that the hose was melted and it could have started on fire if we didn't check it. I have heard SO many stories and have donated many things to famlies who have lose thier homes to fires! SO LET"S BE SAFE FELLOW FARM GIRLS!
Libbie	Posted - Jan 04 2007 : 11:33:13 PM Oh, Suzy - that sounds so scary! I, too, am glad that you were all safe - what an ordeal, especially with a two-year-old. I'm going to check those detectors again, just to be sure, since I burn a fire every night in the winter for heat... XOXO, Libbie "Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe
bramble	Posted - Jan 02 2007 : 5:58:30 PM Thanks Suzy, I'm sorry your family suffered more serious loss but glad you were all safe! We too hear countless stories and thought we were prepared but it definitely was a wake up call and hopefully will keep others safe as well. Glad your back! with a happy heart
BamaSuzy	Posted - Jan 02 2007 : 07:23:45 AM Our house burned in 1983 when Nathan, our youngest, was not quite two...it was in the middle of the day (caused by an electrical short in the wall behind the clothes dryer!!!) so we weren't asleep BUT I had just awakened from a nap with Nathan! The smoke detectors did go off and I got him out safely but we lost the house....BUT WE WERE SAFE!!! Check your smoke detectors on the first day of EVERY MONTH....twice a year is just not enough!!! Have fire drills so your family members will know how to get out...do them EVERY MONTH so they will be ingrained even in your youngest children...that way they will hopefully react automatically instead of panicking... Have a safe place for everyone to meet outside and tell them NOT to leave that safe place until help arrives, such as firemen or policemen....the safe place outside can be at a trusted neighbors or by the mailbox....make sure it is someplace that IS NOT UNDER ELECTRIC LINES as some times they fall during a house fire.... In my 28 years as a newspaper reporter I can't count the number of people who were saved BECAUSE of their smoke detectors but I also can't count the number of people who died in housefires because they had no smoke detectors or because the batteries were dead! I'm glad your fire had a happy ending and I'm glad it is serving as a wake up call for not only those in your family but for all of us here on the forum! thank you and best wishes! You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt!
Libbie	Posted - Dec 14 2006 : 08:26:18 AM This stuff is so scary! I'm SO glad that everyone ended up okay. We have a friend who is a firefighter and he's banned ALL candles from his house for this very reason - he said that they are a cause of a significant percentage of house fires. Scary stuff. I love candles, and can't see not burning them at all, but thanks for the reminder to treat them with the respect they deserve. This goes for wood stoves and chimneys, too! As another reminder, if you heat with wood, like I do for the most part, be sure to have your chimney swept! It's really not that hard to do yourself, if you're so inclined, but it can be pretty messy... Be safe!!! XOXO, Libbie "Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe
Aunt Jenny	Posted - Dec 08 2006 : 07:14:22 AM I am so glad your story ended well..that is such a good reminder for us. I burn candles alot..mostly jar candles...and I go outside and leave them going often..if it is going to be less than 1/2 hour. I won't be doing that anymore!!! Jenny in Utah Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com
~Tracey~	Posted - Dec 08 2006 : 07:05:53 AM Very scary indeed!! We have 2 fires going all day in the winter and I am always worried about them something happening. Kind of funny story: My dh got a burn permit to burn leaves the other afternoon but we also have a compost pile full of leaves and I wondered if he shouldn't burn it down a bit, to make room for more leaves (we have tons of oak trees in our yard). Dh took the ash pan out to be emptied (while talking on the phone with his mom) and didn't realize there were wtill some hot coals in it. A few minutes later, he looks up to see the compost pile in HUGE flames!!! The pile is about 50 feet by 25 feet encased in wire fencing and 2-3 feet tall now. I cannot believe how quickly those leaves caught fire. It is such a wonder that it didn't spread. Scary but the way my dh ran out the door was kind of funny (I didn't know what was happening at that moment). Thanks for the reminder to be safe!! Tracey, mama to Callum 13, Katie 8, Wil 5.5, Benjamin 3 and Andrew 8 months!! http://hansenhootenanny.blogspot.com/
GRITSgal	Posted - Dec 08 2006 : 05:15:49 AM Sorry about that fire! that s scary and I am glad you/your whole family are safe. Thanks for warning me about the fire alarm. I ll check on them and plan to install one for the deaf for free from the fire dept. at my new house.
bohemiangel	Posted - Dec 07 2006 : 5:01:20 PM YIKES! Scary stuff! Glad all is ok! HUGS "... to thine ownself be true."
bramble	Posted - Dec 07 2006 : 4:51:04 PM JoAnn- Thanks for the list and Bath and Body Works did have a candle listed, just not this one ...yet. I will have to let them know. The list was interesting, none of the companies I usually buy from are on there and that as Ms. Martha would say "Is a VERY good thing"! Lorij- Sorry to hear of your fire, hopefully there will be no repeats. My son cooks like your daughter...sometimes! Everyone be careful and take care! with a happy heart
Mountain Girl	Posted - Dec 07 2006 : 1:35:31 PM Do you no where the gift basket set was from? If so I'd certainly tell them about it. Here's a link I found about candle recalls http://www.happycandles.com/candle-recalls.html I've always been called a dreamer, but I never listened. I did what others dare not do--lived my dream while they watched. Unknown
bramble	Posted - Dec 07 2006 : 11:30:25 AM I thought the same thing too Jeannie but luckily just some major smoke damage to the back side of the plate and the globe is ok too. Very strange occurance, and yes, I have done the same with tea lights unintentionally, but no more. Everything will always get blown out from now on! Stay safe everyone, put a fire extinguisher under your sink or in your pantry cupboard. That's what I grabbed in case it got worse and thankfully didn't use. But I am scrubbing soot off the ceiling and beams again today...but also still thanking God! with a happy heart
jpbluesky	Posted - Dec 07 2006 : 05:19:35 AM God was really watching out for you! When you said you put a plate on top, which was very smart, I was afraid you were going to say it broke from the heat and spread the fire! Thank God you caught everything in time....and thank you for sharing this stroy. I sometimes leave the house and remember I left my votive tea candle burning. I usually do not worry, but now I will make sure I blow it out every time I leave. So glad you are all okay, and no damage was done! Ephesians 1:17
westernhorse51	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 11:30:56 AM bramble thats horrible. Thank God your all safe. Candles can be tricy but in a globe I would have thought it was safe also. she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13
Beemoosie	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 11:05:14 AM Bramble I am so glad this has a safe and happy ending! XO, Bonnie ...she is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. Prov 31:10 www.beequilting.blogspot.com
Amie C.	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 10:47:39 AM Wow, that is really frightening! Especially that the smoke detector didn't go off...maybe the smoke was not great enough or hadn't reached the right part of the house to trigger the sensor yet. But even if your smoke detector works, that's just the first step in escaping from a house fire. In my town three little girls died last week in a fire. Their smoke detectors worked fine, but the newspapers speculated that the children just didn't know how to react. Their baby sitter got some of the other kids out of the house, but these poor kids were cut off. The fire department stressed how important it is to have an escape plan and practice it with your family. That made a big impression on me...and now I'll be extra careful with candles over Christmas too. I'm working on escape plans, but I hope we'll never need to use them.
Tina Michelle	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 10:36:34 AM how scary! glad that everything is fine though. wheew. ~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
lilpunkin	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 10:30:16 AM WoW! How scary. I am thankful that everything turned out and everyone was ok. This is a good reminder, thank you very much! lilpunkin Life isn't measured by how many breaths you take, but by how many moments take your breath away.
bramble	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 10:03:33 AM We do Julie, that is what is so strange! My Boy Scout even labels the date they are changed so we can be sure. These batteries are less than a month old! Yikes! And I guess that is another good tip...w/permanent marker date your batteries when you change them so you always know if you are up to date. with a happy heart
willowtreecreek	Posted - Dec 06 2006 : 09:57:26 AM WOW! That was a close one! I am so glad all are safe! I suggest you change and check smoke detector batteries every time you change the clocks! Jewelry, art, baskets, etc. www.willowtreecreek.com

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