Read this story and get the message!!!
This story is true and happened last week to friends of mine back in New York. It hit me rather hard despite no one being seriously injured but also struck me in a way that reminded me just how simple things we overlook everyday have the potential to become big problems. The moral of this story is rather obvious but I felt I needed to bring it to my readers attention because you just never know. This could save someone's life and the lives of their family.
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On April 18, 2006, at 12:30 am our smoke detectors went off. This happens about every other month, so it’s gotten to where we get up all annoyed not panicked. Sean woke me up and I thought it was my alarm clock and I tried to hit the off button. When we got into the hallway we smelled something weird, it didn’t smell like smoke but it wasn’t right. I checked on Liam since he was crying and Sean went to go downstairs to check the dryer that he turned on before we went to bed at 11 pm. I gave Liam his binky and went to check on Emma. When I pushed her door open, (it wasn’t latched but we keep it closed so the stupid cats don’t wake them up) I could see grayish smoke filling her room. As I entered her room I saw that her humidifier was on fire and flames were starting to come out the top. The humidifier was not on but we had it plugged in. Emma was sitting up in bed not saying anything, just looking like she was in a daze. I yelled at her about two times to get out and she still just sat there. Sean heard me yelling and came running back to her room, I picked Emma up and put her in the hall and told her to go to the living room and I will be right there, I have to get your brother. I got Liam and brought him to the living room. I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and went back to Emma’s room but Sean already had the fire out by using Dixie cups of water. The smoke was thick in Emma’s room and it was starting to spread throughout the house so I took the kids out on the front porch.
I called my Dad and asked him to come over to check the wiring and that’s when it hit me. Emma was 6 inches from being caught on fire. Her curtains were about 3 inches from the humidifier; they could have gone on fire easily. If it weren’t for our smoke detectors she would be dead. We were lucky; the smell of the burning plastic is all we have to contend with now. After stripping our bedrooms bare and cleaning everything you can still smell it. Nothing was wrong with the wiring; it was the fault of the humidifier.
I was always one of those people who thought it couldn’t happen to me, especially since I was already in a fire when I was 3 months old, what are the chances of it happening to me again.
If you do not have smoke detectors GET THEM!
If you have smoke detectors CHECK THEM!
If you have never had fire drill with your family, have one. Even though Emma is only 4 she now understands what the smoke detector is, what to do if it goes off and where to met us in the front yard.
Please feel free to pass this on to everyone you know.
Tara Hill
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Here are some pictures of the burned unit. I know this makes little sense but when I look at this thing it looks so harmless, you know. Not like it could just go up in flames. All appliances have this danger, true, but they are manufacturing them to look more and more like toys. A toy couldn't possibly hurt you. But we all know that is untrue at times as well. In any light, this story freaked me out quite a bit and could have explained some indiscretions I took part in last week. But more on that latter as I try and sort that out.
I am so glad they are okay because not only is Sean a good friend but their children are so cute. I'll have to dig up some photos and post 'em sometime.
SYS
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On April 18, 2006, at 12:30 am our smoke detectors went off. This happens about every other month, so it’s gotten to where we get up all annoyed not panicked. Sean woke me up and I thought it was my alarm clock and I tried to hit the off button. When we got into the hallway we smelled something weird, it didn’t smell like smoke but it wasn’t right. I checked on Liam since he was crying and Sean went to go downstairs to check the dryer that he turned on before we went to bed at 11 pm. I gave Liam his binky and went to check on Emma. When I pushed her door open, (it wasn’t latched but we keep it closed so the stupid cats don’t wake them up) I could see grayish smoke filling her room. As I entered her room I saw that her humidifier was on fire and flames were starting to come out the top. The humidifier was not on but we had it plugged in. Emma was sitting up in bed not saying anything, just looking like she was in a daze. I yelled at her about two times to get out and she still just sat there. Sean heard me yelling and came running back to her room, I picked Emma up and put her in the hall and told her to go to the living room and I will be right there, I have to get your brother. I got Liam and brought him to the living room. I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and went back to Emma’s room but Sean already had the fire out by using Dixie cups of water. The smoke was thick in Emma’s room and it was starting to spread throughout the house so I took the kids out on the front porch.
I called my Dad and asked him to come over to check the wiring and that’s when it hit me. Emma was 6 inches from being caught on fire. Her curtains were about 3 inches from the humidifier; they could have gone on fire easily. If it weren’t for our smoke detectors she would be dead. We were lucky; the smell of the burning plastic is all we have to contend with now. After stripping our bedrooms bare and cleaning everything you can still smell it. Nothing was wrong with the wiring; it was the fault of the humidifier.
I was always one of those people who thought it couldn’t happen to me, especially since I was already in a fire when I was 3 months old, what are the chances of it happening to me again.
If you do not have smoke detectors GET THEM!
If you have smoke detectors CHECK THEM!
If you have never had fire drill with your family, have one. Even though Emma is only 4 she now understands what the smoke detector is, what to do if it goes off and where to met us in the front yard.
Please feel free to pass this on to everyone you know.
Tara Hill
______________________________________________________________________________
Here are some pictures of the burned unit. I know this makes little sense but when I look at this thing it looks so harmless, you know. Not like it could just go up in flames. All appliances have this danger, true, but they are manufacturing them to look more and more like toys. A toy couldn't possibly hurt you. But we all know that is untrue at times as well. In any light, this story freaked me out quite a bit and could have explained some indiscretions I took part in last week. But more on that latter as I try and sort that out.
I am so glad they are okay because not only is Sean a good friend but their children are so cute. I'll have to dig up some photos and post 'em sometime.
SYS
posted by Unknown at 9:41 PM
