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FlyntSILVER Member
Intrepid Penguin
5,635 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Yesterday morning, at about 2am, I was woken up by one of the most unreal noises. My flatmate was screaming "fire!"

I guess when some thing like that happens, your mind goes somewhere else, and thank god, adrenaline just takes over. My other flatmate banged on my door, and I just grabbed a blanket and ran out.

Our kitchen had an electrical fire in the middle of the night. It started in the faulty exhaust fan, which we have never used, because it's always been broken. After being on for a while (which we were unaware of) the engine finally blew, and set fire to the casing. Soon the blind caught fire, and then the engine componant of the exhaust fan fell into our kitchen and set some of the plastic containers on the benchtop alight. The fire then spred to the lino on the floor from the dripping burning plastic, and started up across the ceiling...

What woke my flatmate, was the sound of banging and popping as things started to burn. She thought I was in the kitchen making a noise. She finally got out of bed to tell me off, because she heard something break, (which turned out to be the window shattering from the heat).

I always thought of fire as being "clean", I think, because the fuel we use for spinning is relatively smoke and odour free. On the way past the kitchen yesterday morning, all I could see was a roiling brown over a dirty orange glow, and the heat.

At the time, my brain was all foggy, we breathed in abit of that horrible burnt plastic smoke, being asleep when it started. I wasnt thinking that great, and sitting outside on the concrete wrapped in my bedcovers, listening to things pop and smash just seemed incredibly surreal. The firemen turning up just felt like an inconvenience because I was cold and wanted to go back to sleep.

Things seem alot more different now. We walked through the kitchen after it was put out, I remember seeing a teaspoon next to the exhaust fan engine that was completely bent and charcoal. Seemed strange using a normal teaspoon later to stir coffee at a friends place.

Last night I didnt sleep so good. Everytime the wind banged something, I woke up terrified. Everytime my flatmate said something in the other room, I'd wake up nearly crying. I took five minutes to get the courage to walk into my bedroom, because the light flickering under the door from my lamp, suddenly looked orange and brown... I'm back at work today, after a full day of cleaning and laundromatting everything yesterday. Just wishing I wasnt so jumpy.

Anyways, the point of all this, was to ask you all a favour.

When you get home tonight, PLEASE please, check your smoke alarm. Ours didnt have a battery in it. If my flatmate hadnt woken up, theres a likelyhood I would be here to write this. So Please, do me a favour, Check your smoke alarm.

Thanks.
xoxoxox
Flynt

Currently on the right side up of the world.


Pink...?BRONZE Member
Mistress of Pink...Multicoloured
6,140 posts
Location: Over There, United Kingdom


Posted:

glad you are all alright

Never pick up a duck in a dungeon...


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
yea, my sentiments exactly.

I guess another lesson is to keep fuel stored outside/in a shed/garage if you can, esp if it's purer than bog standard paraffin.

Have 3 hugs from me: and hope you are feeling less shakey soon.

shadow steppinofficial hop irken
401 posts
Location: Tucson USA


Posted:
*checks smoke alarm*

In my hands I hold your smile and in my heart it runs so wild You are the one you are unique I'm so in love you make me weak And the reason that I feel is like a shadow from a light so if you have the chance to be with me be my shadow in the night


FlyntSILVER Member
Intrepid Penguin
5,635 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Thankfully flid, the fuel was in the back of the car at the time, and not in the kitchen where we normally keep it.

Currently on the right side up of the world.


DioHoP Mechanical Engineer
729 posts
Location: OK, USA


Posted:
Sounds like someone was watching out for you

Glad to hear everyone made it out OK!

What hits the fan is not evenly distributed.


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
oh Flynt - that's terrible

hope it all gets back to normal asap

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
you already know how i feel for you..i told you at 3 this morning..

FYI it went along the lines of "Jesus H F*cking Christ"


thankfully, in my mums new house, ALL the electrics have been redone, including having the smoke alarms rigged into the mains supply, thus meaning you cant turn them off....

only problem occurs when i want a ciggerete at 2 in the morning with my mum asleep downstairs (i have the loft)...thats a pain in the ass..

glad to hear you are ok once again hun.

everyone is giving a hug...so instead i will give you a..


RoziSILVER Member
100 characters max...
2,996 posts
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia


Posted:
Hey babe, take care of yourself and I will talk to you soon.

Just to make you laugh, I am being bad in class and writing this when I should be working, and I'm the teacher!!!

It was a day for screaming at inanimate objects.

What this calls for is a special mix of psychology and extreme violence...


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Flynt, there's nothing wrong with being jumpy for a while after a scare like that...it's called 'learning' and it may well save your life or others lives in the future...

That's really freaky, gave me chills up my spine when you mentioned the smoke alarm thing at the end. I checked ours a few months ago, but I'll check it again when I go home.


Does everyone know they are supposed to give their alarm a quick vacumn every 3-6 months as well?

The little sensor has a slight static charge so it attracts dust and can get clogged up if not cleared periodically.

Most brands will go off if the sensor is clogged but some of the cheapo's don't!

(Can you tell i used to sell them?)

Hope things settle down for you ASAP, Flynt...

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


falloutboySILVER Member
remember
433 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia, Earth, Milky Way, Universe


Posted:

Soooooooo glad Erin got up to tell you off - well, you, who later turned out to be a fire.
Hope all is well. (did you eat that thai green curry for lunch??? You better've or there'll be trouble missy!!! : D)

-As angels debate chance and fate-
i was riding through melbourne on a midget giraffe, things were peachy.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Glad you are all ok.

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Here Sweetie
I know what you're going thru. My bro set my mom's bed alight when we were kids. If it weren't for my sister having the croup and not sleeping, she would have been in her crib at the time. I can still vividly see the flames after he ran downstairs and said, Mummy I think the house is on fire.
We're all thinking of you and sending the best wishes!

FlyntSILVER Member
Intrepid Penguin
5,635 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
quote:
Originally posted by falloutboy:
Soooooooo glad Erin got up to tell you off - well, you, who later turned out to be a fire.

Indeed, I've never been so glad to be wrongly blamed for something in my entire life!

And yes, I did eat the leftovers, the bits that werent all in my bag anyways. cursed dodgy leftover container...


Re: Smoke Alarms I think I just assumed, that my flatmates, having lived in the flat before me, were responsible adults, and had checked that the battery was good. They are both incredibly careful about not smoking when tired, or having incense or candles burning at night.

I now realise, that it's not good enough to assume that someone else has already checked. I dont care if you are pretty sure your smoke alarm is ok, please, tonight when you get home, take half a minute to press that little test button on the alarm and check!

Thanks to everyone for their kind words, Our kitchen had new windows and electrics put yesterday afternoon, so the house is livable again and the power is back on. A few new coats of paint and it will be like it never happened.... I doubt very much I'll forget it tho!

Currently on the right side up of the world.


KatBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)


Posted:
Flynt - so glad you ok sweetie

Many years ago now, but still remember vividly. Our kitchen went on fire Christmas Eve. It was our first Christmas without our gran who died that summer and everyone was feeling rather melancholy. My mother was busy cooking up a storm when our oven burst into flames. We closed the doors, rang the fire brigade and got the hell out of there. My dad came home as the flames started taking hold of the cupboards and he dashingly saved the day by ripping out the flaming oven and we formed a chain to put out the fire. By the time the fire brigade arrived our whole kitchen would have burned down. We spent the whole of Christmas Eve together washing down the walls and for weeks afterwards (as we could not repaint etc until the insurance assessor visited) despite many scrubs black was still coming off the walls. Despite how horrific an experience it was, it brought us closer together as everyone had been moping around and snapping at one another and what would have been a rotton Christmas ended up being a lovely sharing time with my family.

Our house did not have a smoke alarm either, we now have one fitted at home. We were lucky as it was evening and there were people around to notice the fire. You surely have a guardian angel watching over you my dear. I hope your nerves settle down soon

Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

- W B Yeats


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
Ok I admit, my friend took the battery out of our smoke alarm 2 days ago cause it kept bleating cause the battery was dead. On the case now though...

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:


Glad you're OK princess. Sleep well tonight knowing you are loved by so many.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
There are several of us on here who can empathize from first hand experience sweetie.
Last year part of my home burned. It is a hard road to recovery, not only in the material world (did only your kitchen burn or did the whole flat end up burning?) but also psychologically. It is incredible the damage that one fire can do, aside from just burning things. Importantly though, no one has been injured, on the outside. And you have such a loving and wonderful network of people to help you and support you. You are blessed, even though it may not feel like it right now.

Not only will you be checking your smoke alarms much more avidly now but I also bet you will be checking appliances to make certain they are off.
Our fire started from a power surge through and old lamp I left on during a power outage. So now I run around to check to make sure things that are not grounded are turned off during blackouts, and even leaving the house, sometimes 2 or 3 times. But I think that is okay, it is protecting loved ones.

Besides, in a strange way this helps you to understand fire as well. The randomness of it, and to appreciate the things around you that you do have a little better. It also helped me step up the safety procedures when I perform for others, knowing I do not want them to go through what I went through. I hope for you that one day you can look back on this and find yourself a stronger person because of it.

Perhaps you can take some over the counter sleeping aid to help you sleep better? I don't usually recommend these things but they do help.

Keep us posted and my heart and prayers go out to you.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


Mistress AuroraHot Schtuff
1,032 posts
Location: Stillwater,OK/Wichita Falls,TX


Posted:
That so sucks! I'm so glad everybody made it out safe and ok

This sounds alil like what happened to one of my friends. Only it wasn't electrical but was caused by candles.

She didn't have a smoke alarm in her room, and only the family room and kitchen had smoke alarms for some reason.

Anyway she fell asleep reading a book and left her candles burning on top of her dresser. The candle's got hot and soon ignited one of her posters that was hanging on the wall. She woke up to her step mom and step sis banging on the door because they smelled smoke. My friend had locked her bedroom door. She finally woke up and said that all she saw was the wall opposite of her on fire. She just grabbed her coat and ran out of the house with the rest of her family.

So something else to add: Don't go to sleep with candles burning and don't let candles burn near something that could ignite. Also make sure there is a smoke detector in EVERY room of your house.

My friends and I jokingly referred to her as "sparky" for awhile


RISK: Do not follow the common path; Go where there is no path and leave a trail.


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Here in NY State there is to be a working smoke detector on every floor of every house, including the basement and attic. There is supposed to be one in the hall outside of bedrooms as well, but not in the kitchen. Many these days are wired right to a security system that calls the fire authorities, and they don't want to dispatch for fish gone bad, you know?
Carbon Monoxide Detectors are supposed to be placed at floor level, not near an air intake, close to bedroom so that the alarm will wake you.
Fire ladders in every bedroom above a first story.
Fire extinguishers in every kitchen, and in apartment buildings, in the halls. (A big box of baking soda is good to have in the kitchen as well)

It sounds like alot, but it really is not, especially when it is the life of you or your family on the line.

My friend that died of smoke inhalation on the third story in a Brooklyn apartment two years back had none of that stuff, and didn't stand a chance.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


mechBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom


Posted:
congrats on the escape man, i am happy to hear ur cool!

i cant say much more, anything ive tried to type copme out worng, and may just sacre you further

Step (el-nombrie)


FlyntSILVER Member
Intrepid Penguin
5,635 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Thanks so much everyone!

Well, after a few hours sleep last night I'm less jumpy. Putting a new battery into the fire alarm, and testing it each, helped.

We are all ok, coughs from the smoke inhalation, and seriously messed up senses of smell at the moment, our flat still smells like burnt plastic. I think thats the worst part.... I've lost count of the number of times I've sprayed febreeze on the carpet now... I was even tempted to febreeze my hair!

I'm trying not to think about the 'whatifs'. what if Erin hadnt woken up, what if the fuel had still been in the kitchen.

Thanks heaps for your wellwishes, and the great advice Pele and others. It is really appreciated. It's been "helpful?" to learn about this other aspect of fire, like I said in my first post, I'm used to flames being "clean" and somewhat controlable... This has just reminded me that nothing is certain when dealing with fire...

Currently on the right side up of the world.


ValuraSILVER Member
Mumma Hen
6,391 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia


Posted:
I had no idea!!! I will be ringing you tonight you can bet your ass on that love....
remeber flynt..."what if" "woulda" "coulda" "shoulda" didnt happen...what did happen is that you both woke up and were bought to saftey and we have your gaurdian angels to thank for that....

Non-Https Image Link

TAJ "boat mummy." VALURA "yes sweetie you went on a boat, was daddy there with you?" TAJ "no, but monkey on boat" VALURA "well then sweetie, Daddy WAS there with you"


GnorBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
5,814 posts
Location: Perth, Australia


Posted:
Thank goodness you guys are OK. Thats a very scary experience.

Hugs your way and take care

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu


BamBamPooh-Bah
1,810 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Thinking of you Princess.

Smiles and love

Lisa
XXXXXX

A kiss blown is a kiss wasted, the only kind of kiss is a kiss tasted.

I'm a woman. We don't say what we want, but we reserve the right to be pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating and not just a LITTLE bit scary.


polytheneveteran
1,359 posts
Location: London/ Surrey


Posted:
lucky outcome! Glad you're all ok!

The optimist claims that we are living in the best of all possible worlds.
The pessimist fears this is true.

Always make time to play in the snow.


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Oh my lord! SOOOOOO glad to know you're OK!

We check our fire and CO2 alarms weekly. But then we are four medical students living under one roof, so the analness factor in our house is very high.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


FunkyGodmember
54 posts
Location: Wellington,New Zealand


Posted:
i used fire staff for the first time last night i hope your ok. what a bummer

As i do not rule the Light i must rule the Darkness.


i will die using fire... why? you ask, it is simple, because i can


FunkyGodmember
54 posts
Location: Wellington,New Zealand


Posted:
what a bummer

As i do not rule the Light i must rule the Darkness.


i will die using fire... why? you ask, it is simple, because i can


GidgBRONZE Member
Super Gidg!!!!
8,506 posts
Location: Portland Oregon USA


Posted:
I’m just glad that you and Erin got out safely. At our house we check our fire alarms three times a year, when we go to day light savings time and standard time (change the clocks, check the alarms) and on my sister’s birthday (buy a card, check the alarms). The batteries get changed once a year on my brother’s birthday.

The other thing that we do is to unplug the small appliances when we are not using them, Toaster, Coffee Pot, and Electric Can Opener. Come to think about it, the only thing that does stay plugged in is the refrigerator, stove and microwave.

I just thank God that He arranged the fuel to be in the car instead of the kitchen.

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is NOT.
Proud member of the HoP DPS.
Sanity is a highly overrated state of mind.
I'm normal ... it's everyone else that's crazy.

Gidg


Shibakienthusiast
309 posts
Location: Tampa, Fl


Posted:
wow.... this is so incredible. Flynt --- Long Warm

i have to say this and it is so stupid i know. but i am stubborn in many ways. every smoke alarm in every place i have ever lived, i have disabled. they were always annoying to me. i know the risk i run... stupid.

whats the point of being a vegetarian for health reasons but not letting a smoke alarm work to help protect lives?

ce moi
i am so happy that you are ok and wow it is ok to be jumpy. take care of yourself and ill see you soon, give you big hugs and check Your smoke alarm

Wow


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