Fire last night!

While posting here last night my house- Alarm Co. called me. There was smoke in the house a little, I was upstairs.  They sent the fire dept. Our pellet stove caught on fire behind the wall downstairs. John had turned off the stove and was headed to bed. I thought it was a little fire in the stove, little did I know by the time the fire dept. arrived the fire had traveled to the roof eves. WOW it is scary how quickly things can happen like this. All of us are fine. Kitties are scared of course. We are now in a hotel for only a few days I hope. cont...

[sfbaygirl]

The wires were all burned in the family room, so they had to cut the power. Mainly the damage is the family room and walls inside and out. They brought chain saws into my backyard and the big hoses and I thought, oh no...this is bad! It was after 11 PM. I tried to go into the house to get a jacket and couldn't see through the house to get to a room there was so much smoke. Of course what I grabbed when I left the house was my Riba and INF--NOT! LOL I grabbed my computer! Not a jacket or my purse or my cats (who were heading for the doors anyway). We got to the hotel about 2:30 am and have a meeting with the cleanup restoration co today to clean the smoke and debris etc. Need to get an electrician and can't get one...it's the weekend! Can't get the ins. co either. I hope they cover the clean up. It is going to be expensive. I am grateful we still have a house, we were SO lucky! We had three huge firetrucks and the batallion chief working on the fire. They knocked all the wood off the sides of the back to make sure no embers traveled anywhere else. They sure don't care about saving things much! They hosed down the room and new carpets...not sure how it all is, but we are so very very lucky! This was my first fire and last I hope. Thought I would let you guys know what's going on. Anyone trying to reach me by phone won't get through, but my email works as well as my cell.

[compulsive]

OMG

So glad you are ok.  WOW.  That is WAY too much excitement.  It would be nicce if everything could get fixed fast.  I hope paperwork, inspections and repairs go smoothly for you.  So sorry about this for you - you really don't need the xtra stress.  How are your kitties today?  And YOU?  Are you ok?  Did you get your meds out? BOy I am so glad you have a good alarm company and you and John are safe.  WOW   WOW    and   WOW.....

PS:

*lol* yeah I find jumping around in the two forums dizzy making.
the "labs" thread was wyntre's on the other forum called "Lab Results Interpretation Help, Please" and - well I got involved and between my uh...specialness, and wyntre's - newness to the terminology - the "techies" got a bit frustrated....  It got sorted out in the end.


Take good care of yourself....

[Lady E]

WOW! I'm so glad you all made it out safely. That really must have been a tough night for you and your family. Best of luck to you with your insurance and the clean up. I got a kick out of how you grabbed the computer! How did we EVER survive without our precious computers. LOL
Good luck!
-E

[sfbaygirl]

Oh, that thread, Yes, I was on there too! Hey, nobody knows all this stuff at first. I sure wish I knew what I know now, things would have gone more smoothly and I wouldn't be extending!

Yeah, that was some excitement all right!!!! I can't belive it. We were in such shock the three of us we could hardly sleep last night. Poor kitties scattered. I have to go back this morning and reassure them. I am their mommy and they only like me, pretty much. It will be interesting to see the big holes in the house cut by chain saws and axes. I called my daughter in law and told her last night. She says, it's a good thing you live where you do, in Oakland where I live they probably would have told me to fill a water balloon! The firefighters were amazing! I could have NOTHING today. We have a ton of orginal paintings that could NEVER be replaced, along with family heirlooms etc. It sure makes you think about what you would take in a fire. Too bad all that Riba didn't burn up! I don't think I would have cried for it at all! LOL

[sfbaygirl]

Thanks! Yeah, I was surprised what I grabbed too! Not really, LOL. I left my new Prada purse, money, meds etc and grabbed the laptop. I think first things we need to do are buy some extingushers, flashlights and put away all the photos of property we have in the safe. Of course the huge safe that's fireproof in the garage is almost empty! We have at least 8 doors in/out of our house, so I wasn't too worried about the kitties. They took one look at those fireman and hit a door. My pool is now surrounded by insulation and wall materials.

I am so lucky that the house didn't go up totally. I am surrounded by over a thousand acres of open space and trees. Those trees would have caught too if there had been any wind.

[orphanedhawk]

   I'm sorry you've got this mess to deal with on top of everything else. We are lucky for what we do have, our lives, our love, our friends, and our loopy sense of humor.
  Did I tell you about the fire in my guesthouse in Bangkok in November? I awoke in the night to someone yelling,"FIRE!" and the room next to mine in flames. I grabbed my passport and wallet and fled.(The laptop was at home)  
   And a little voice in my head said," it is not a good day to die."
   Now I sometimes wake up at dawn and have to look twice to be sure that the golden glow isn't a fire.

[sfbaygirl]

says, "We are lucky for what we do have, our lives, our love, our friends, and our loopy sense of humor." I so agree with this! Poor little Alana says to us, were you going to wake me up? I was headed her way when they told me to get out. Yes, we are so lucky to be alive! The fire chief said if that fire had sparked an hour later while we were sleeping, it would be BAD. Thank goodness for a great alarm co! I have to send some baskets to the firemen and the alarm guys!

[goldyn]

Thank the good Lord you all are alright, those house fires can be real tricky, I do so hope your prada is alright..he he..what a mess but youll get through it, I tell you what when you think ,"isnt treating engough in your life right now you dont need anything  more there life goes adding on more things to handle, but you sound good sfbaygirl....

[stangshelly]

I am so sorry for your loss! I experienced a fire about 17 yrs ago. started in upstairs bathroom where an ash ignited trash can and at the time had 3 small children.lost entire 3 rooms upstairs..wow... It happens so fast!

I am glad to hear all are okay, my heart goes out to you..shelly

[sfbaygirl]

Thanks, I feel so punchy from no sleep that I'm not sure how I feel. I guess nothing like a fire to take your mind off tx! I even forgot my Riba this morning. I did remember to bring it to the hotel. We are heading over there in a little bit. Just called to find some dry ice for the freezers, but they are all closed on the weekend. Lovely! Why is it that sx's and fires happen on weekends when you can't get any help? LOL

Well, I guess the good news is it got me off my but and into the world for a bit. Besides room service and Pay per view is not bad. They even have wireless here! Perhaps I can even hit the spa and get a massage!

[ladybug52]

Unbelieveable! What a mess! And yet, when you think how much worse it could have been, you feel lucky. Glad for me that you got the laptop! I can still communicate with you and it's all about me!
Good luck sorting thru the mess. Glad no one was hurt!

[sfbaygirl]

LOL you are too funny girl!

[MissMiss]

You've got mail!

[painterlady13]

OMG what a mess it must be.....  Thank God you two are OK.  That is the very most important thing.  Most INS co's cover clean up of smoke and water damage. Many years ago I was one of the cleaners that would go into a fire damaged home and clean everything in the house.   Good luck and hope your kitties are ok.  Paint

[sfbaygirl]

Geez Lousise! I keep posting to you and they seem to disappear! Thanks for your thoughts. Thankfully my kitties only like me and not firemen or noise. My little Frieda skidded on her tummy trying to get out of the house. Wish I would have left the Riba! But alas, I felt I HAD to bring it along to the hotel.

You are so sweet to say all those nice things about me, but I KNOW you wouldn't want to be around me these days! Still haven't checked my email, but will. YOu are funny and articulate too and I enjoy chatting with you!

[sfbaygirl]

Thanks for thinking of me! It always feels good. My patience level is below zero these days and I hope I make it through this without a divorce and a prison sentence! Just got back from the house. the restoration guy said when his parents house burnt, they got a divorce! Lovely! I can't believe all the wood that were burned right through to the roof and floors. The walls are gone. We are lucky to be alive! The Restoration people are there and electricians since the wires were all burnt through the floors. They are going to spray something to make it smell better, but being there smelling it made me woozy. They tell me I am going to have to deal with the horrible smoke cleanup.(they will do it, but guess who supervises)...carpets, upholstry, expensive paintings and oriental rugs. I just don't know how I can do it!! I think I may live in the hotel and let them all do their own thing, otherwise I may grab one of those 2x8's and knock someone out for making too much noise. What a nightmare! I posted some of this on the "otherside" since JIm brought it up, lots of people dont' go to both places and would have no idea, one reason I dont' like this split board. I myself dont' post on both sides most days. I loved keeping up with everyone and miss being here. Well, you guys may be stuck with me, now that I have a little hotel room and wireless! You are ALL the best!

[l-horn]

Good night !!! I'm glad everyone is all right. Hopefully you can get the damage repaired ASAP. I've been in a home that was flooded and that is no fun to get back in order but that's small potatos compared to fire damage.

I worry that it may start stressing you out ( as if you're not stressed already ) and making your sx worse. ( stress does that to me ). Just take a deep breath and take it easy while dealing with this mess. The important thing is no one was hurt.

[Imagine]

Just got home from work and was reading the other side and saw the note about the FIRE. Wow I am so sorry. I am glad everyone and the kitties are ok. I am also glad you still have a sense of humor after something like that (poor person who makes too much noise getting whacked along side the head). I heard of Riba rage but never Riba fire!

Seriously I am very sorry for your loss but material things are easier to replace than your lives.

Take Care!

[sfbaygirl]

I am so lucky to be alive! Thanks to the alarm co and the firefighters. When I went and saw the burnt wood today, I got a reality check on how close we were to losing everything, including our lives! It is a real wake up call and perhaps I can sit in my wireless room and order up a bunch of fire extinguishers, flashlights and other safety equipment here. Also I took a bunch of photos with a disposable camera. I think taking photos of all the paintings, furniture, glassware etc. is a must. One of my precious deer statues that I got years ago was ruined. My grandmother's house in scotland in oil smells like smoke. I can't replace those. Photo's would at least memorialize these for ins. Also getting them appraised would be a good thing! Of course our lives were the most important and my laptop LOL, but it makes you really think about what you need to do in case of a fire. I have paintings from my dad and partner who are now dead. How could I replace these? We have a Cezanne that was an early work. That was insured, but my family history isn't! Hope everyone takes note and don't put off getting photos and records of your precious things. Yes, if I had lost all of it, it would be okay as long as my family was safe, but since everyone is safe, of course I am thinking about all the stuff I could have lost and wondering what would be priority. I doubt my laptop would have really been on the top of my list, if I wasn't panicked!

[Imagine]

Oh man I am so sorry you lost those treasures of memories. It does make me think of protecting those precious things that are filled with memories and family heirlooms.

Again I am so sorry to hear of your losses.

[l-horn]

At one time I had taken the batteries out of all my smoke detectors since, well you'd have to understand my cooking abilities. Generally it involves a lot of smoke and burning. BUT, one night on the tx I boiled off some water for tea and thought, 'You know..maybe I should put the batteries back in the smoke detectors.'

For fire protection I have a small fire proof safe that I keep records and family photos in. Not all, but enough. Of course, things like antiques that have been handed down I use.

At least with a flood anything above the waterline is still ok and generally you have some time to prepare. With fire you're either not home or you have to get out NOW !! Last flood at the lake ( the 3rd '100 year flood' in 15 years ), the water came up soooo fast about all we could do was pack a few things and leave. Houses were getting swept down the river like toys. ( Of course, now, because of the LACK of rain, I have foundation problems AND I have to replace my roof from the hail storm from last summer. Makes me want to move into a mobile home. Of course then you have that tornado problem. ;)

Aaaand of course, this whole tx thing isn't helping any of this, as you well know.

Hang in there and guard that laptop with your LIFE !!!

[wyntre9]

I posted this on your new post but don't want you to miss it so;

SF,

I'm so sorry about the fire. That is so scary, not too mention stressful. Thank God you got the kids, the kitties, the computer, your hub and the riba out and you're all safe, if a bit disoriented.

Amazingly, you sound just as focused and articulate as you always do. You're one hell-v-a strong lady.

I hope the damage to the house isn't enough to make it uninhabitable and you can get back in there ASAP.

My thoughts are with you.

I'm gonna send you something you might find useful via email. Hopefully, you can access it.

[chcnme]

OMG!!! I can't believe this happened to you!  GeeZOOKS Sfbaygirl!  OMG - thank goodness everyone is OK, though! I can't imagine what that was like - waking up to the fire alarm going off and then watching them with the chain saws.  I bet when you had time to think about it and it sank in, it's was kind of surreal, eh?   Treatment and a house fire  (and everyone including the kitties OK!)  I went on a fire / smoke alarm freenzy when I first moved in up here to take care of mom because she caught the porch garbage can on fire.  She's demented and couldn't remember she wasn't supposed to be smoking (well - apparently she remembered something because she tried to hide it :).  I was sitting in the den and saw all this smoke outside and said "where is all that smoke coming from???"  Walked outside and it was ...coming from our garbage can :)  I thought for sure we were all going to burn to the ground before I could find her stashes.  

Ohhhh..... I hope the damage to your house wasn't too bad.  I'm just glad you're ok.  

I think I'm going to go now and check the batteries in all the alarms :)  

You be safe!  Hang in there.  

[sfbaygirl]

Thanks! We finally got ahold of the ins. adjuster. We moved into a suite with 2 rooms, one for the kid, which is good! We were trying to save a few bucks, but the adjuster said get a 2 bedroom suite if we want! We have ins. that covers living at the standard we were before, which is great. We do have replacement, thank goodness. Do you do insurance? I may want to pick your brain a bit if you do. Missmiss has been helping me with figuring out the restoration and smoke damage shoulds and what to expect. It has been really helpful. Thanks Miss! The whole thing is a mess. My hotel room was smelling like smoke and I wondered why. It was the stuff we brought here! I only grabbed one set of clothes and the Prada of course! LOL Smoke really gets into stuff!

My kitties are still at home and we are letting them in and out. They love the outside. I have 6 of them! If we have to stay away for longer than a week, we will probably have to find somewhere with kitchen and a place for kitties too.

I am really wiped out today. I think I was running on adrenaline yesterday, but it's hit me today, why I just started posting.

[Cindy10]

I am so sorry to hear this news. I feel terrible you went through this. My sister had a serious fire a few years ago and what h..l that was. I have faith you will get through this, you poor thing, not good timing!

[nygirl7]

My GOD SFB youu are SO LUCKY!  Oh my GOD! Oh my GOD! Oh my GOD!Oh my GOD!

Thank God it wasn't worse...I'm sitting here freaking out right now I don't nkow how I didn't even see this heading before to say something!  I am SO GLAD you, hubby and kitties are ok.

Unbelievable. It does happen SO FAST. I know that the hard way (but we were lucky too).

[Tater-ToT]

Good Gawd Woman.... I am SOOOOoooo Glad You & Your Family are Okay!!!! That Had The potential of being a LOT Worse, & that is bad enough as it is!! Thank-Goodness you had an alarm system, or you might have toddled off to bed without even thinking about it, & Gawd Forbid had taken an ambien or something!!!  I'm so glad nobody was hurt! THAT'S The MAIN Thing... Shish!!!!
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