Our house burnt down

[baddayattheoffice]

What would you pick up as you left your burning home?

Most people will never face the reality of their home burning down. We never expected to go through it, but if it can happen to us it could happen to anyone.

AMA.

I'd grab my dog! And if possible passports or some form of id and the big file with all the important info ln it like birth certificates and house insurance details in it.

As much as I would like to grab all the family photographs and sentimental items I'm not sure that would be sensible

I'm so sorry that it happened to you op! And I hope everyone got out of the house ok

www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/

Lots of fire safety advice here if it’s helpful to people.

1 whatever is quickest and nearest. If you need to break a window or unlock a door, think about how you will break it, where is the key kept.

2 honestly just get the fuck out, do not go back, it's the smoke that kills.

3 kitchen fire was a long time ago and a chip pan.
House fire was lightning, it struck and effected the wiring somehow which started the fire in the walls, it was all wood so it just went up.

Did you have any issues with your insurance provider?

@Terfydactyl 10 minutes is so fast too. I hadn’t realised how quickly it all happens. I thought maybe 20 mins.

Important things as told to me by the lovely fireman.

Keep all doors closed. Stay close to the floor. Don’t give a fire oxygen by opening doors or smashing windows

Are they limited by restrictors? - sometimes they can be removed in an emergency by holding and pressing a bit in the restrictor . It might be worth checking.

I’m not sure actually - thanks for mentioning this, I’ll have a check. They must be 30 years old though.

whatever is quickest and nearest. If you need to break a window or unlock a door, think about how you will break it, where is the key kept

And also be aware that opening or breaking a door or window can feed a fire if it’s in the same room. Fires need oxygen to burn.

I didn't have a house fire but my home was destroyed by water.
Flat's - three floors, I was top floor, and mains water pipe in the attic. The mains water pipe burst and the damage wiped out one side of the building. So three flat's completely destroyed.
We woke to the noise of the water and kitchen ceiling starting to come down.
I grabbed my son, chucked him out the flat and turned the electrics of at the mains.
Called the Council (as was a Council flat), and then alerted my neighbours. With the Council's response time, in hindsight I would have been better to call the Fire Brigade to come and turn off the mains water.
We lost a lot, but it was only possessions.
I also got really annoyed with people who thought it was fantastic that I would get to redecorate and how exciting that was. But in reality I was trying to deal with losing my home, and many possessions, my son who is Autistic not surprisingly wasn't dealing with the change, temporary accommodation that had no heating in winter, months of disruption, my bank account was hacked and emptied less than 1 week after our home was destroyed - and in the middle of all that I was supposed to be happy about picking wallpaper, paint colours and carpet for a flat that I had single handedly decorated less than 1 year before.

It took years for me to stop waking up at night in a sheer panic when it was raining heavily! People forget or don't understand the trauma that goes with it all, and that was without any threat to life, like with a fire.

OP, I wish you well with recovering both your home and your life x

People, pets, guitars (in that order, although some of the people and pets might doubt/be surprised by that). Many years ago, my DS told us that his friend's house had been burnt down "because it was so sunny" - a while later, met the friend's mum and it was true! A freak accident involving a bedroom mirror reflecting bright sunlight onto flammable curtains during the morning school run, apparently. At least she was out of the house with the kids. There but for the grace of God....

Best wishes to the OP - a horrendous event to contemplate.

I’d grab my DC and run. How r you now OP?

This too happened to us a few year ago. The insurance company turned out to be a bunch of heartless who did their utmost to shaft us and pay out as little as possible. Yes to all those people who recommended photographing everything (receipts and all). And we were told by the Fire Investigation Officer that anything *electrical that is plugged in - even if it’s not in use - can catch fire. We are now super careful not to leave appliances on when we are out or away. Big lesson learned

Not sure why that’s all come out in bold!!

So sorry for all those who have been through the trauma of house fire.

What is the best tool to use to break windows within a house? Would a regular metal hammer be sufficient or would a car window tool work ie the type recommended by the AA?

When ours burnt down the kids got themselves out and I save my hard drive with pictures on it from when they were little. We lost everything else.

If you have double glazing then the tool advise by AA is best. Don’t just use a hammer, DH’s neighbour tried to break his window when he was locked out. The hammer bounced back and knocked him out.

My dad very smartly put warm ashes in a plastic bucket temporarily while he sorted out the fire for that night as his dm (with dementia) was on the phone, distracted as he would be late for work he totally forgot to take the bucket. Melted, living room gone in minutes, then down into what was my bedroom and up into the second floor and attic, then out through the hall and on and on to all rooms, house destroyed. This is a 200 year old house with solid walls and doors. destroyed

3 out of 4 pets survived thanks to the fire brigade. This is one reason I ALWAYS check what room the cats gone into when he comes in.

in my case, id grab my kids and then pets if possible, God only knows how id handle the gecko outside.

I got out with my phone and the night slip I had on. By the time I fit outside my bedroom window was exploding on to my drive/car. Really scary how it took hold so quickly.

Bubbleandsqueak, would that excuse fly with you if you lost a loved one and the nurses started joking about it in front of you?

OP, I'm sorry you're going through this.

My neighbour had a fire years ago. It started from her new tumble dryer and she was stood right next to it. She walked out of her kitchen, straight in to her living room, shutting the door behind her.

She got her young children out, and her dog. Brought the kids in to me, asked me to call the pub her husband had gone to.

I went in her house a few days later. The UPVC back door in her kitchen had melted. The whole kitchen was gone. The rest of the house was untouched! I'm obsessed with closing doors!

Ours started with a tumble dryer in the garage. DH had his motorbikes in there. By the time l got out of the house flames were pouring out of the front of the garage. I tried to phone the emergency services but could only say ‘My house is on fire’ l couldn’t remember my address. Fortunately 2 neighbours had seen the flames and phoned the fire brigade.

That wait for them was the longest time of my life. The fire lasted 6 minutes. They arrived after 4 minutes. It felt like 4 years. I remember hearing the sirens in the distance and a neighbour saying ‘here they come’ l was shaking and kind of hysterical.

OP, my sincerest sympathies. That’s awful.

i would just grab my kids and go. I wouldn’t even go back for pets if there was at all a question of my safety. Nothing in my house is worth more than getting out ok. It’s all insured. Even my phone…. If it wasn’t right next to me, I would leave it. Everything important is on the cloud.

we were robbed in Italy a few weeks ago. Our bag with all our documents and passports was taken and when I told people half of them all said ‘oh what a nightmare’ and acted like the world had ended. The other half all said ‘at least you weren’t held up at gun point or knife point with the kids there…. Or worse, injured in a fight over them’. (Someone just swiped the bag when we left it unattended for 15s). And I realised that basically nothing in the bag was more important than the 3 most precious people in my life (my kids and husband) and their well being.

I’m so sorry for you! Fires are horrific.

i live in Portugal where wildfires are very common. My land and all surrounding burnt badly in the fires of 2017. We have emergency packs set up including medical supplies, clothes, spare phone chargers, tinned food, basic washing stuff, a six pack of water bottles and dry dog food for my dogs.

Thats probably overkill for a general house fire in the U.K. etc but here it’s known to get trapped for days surrounded by fires so very necessary!

if I had a fire in normal circumstances I’m probably grab phone and chargers, bottled water and perhaps some easy snack food like protein bars etc

And you did well to pull them up on it.

I know a few people who work as fireman etc… and yes they do use dark humour to lighten things up.
But none of them would ever do that in front of the people who have lost their home/saw a serious accident etc… It happens afterwards, when they are together.