A bit shocked by what has happened tonight

[WibbleyPie]

I live in a flat on the first floor, there's a couple who lives in the flat below. No one above me. Large converted house. Separate entrances.

Was woken around midnight by my dog being unsettled and woofing, not full on barking, and as I started to wake up I could hear downstairs smoke alarm going off.
I went down and their door was open, smell of smoke and smoke visible coming out of the door, not billowing but enough to know there's a small fire and make me cough a bit. Neighbours are quite vulnerable and one bed bound.

Wasn't sure where the fire was or what it was, main aim was to help get neighbours out. Mobile neighbour not in best of health themselves and couldn't get bed bound neighbour off the bed. Was on phone to 999 at the same time, as neighbour hadn't called them. Went to help bed bound neighbour into wheelchair and realised it was the bed that was smouldering next to them, big hole burned through mattress and could see embers/smouldering, obviously a fair amount of smoke.
Other neighbour had poured water on it evidently and put it out to some degree. We got her out and into the wheelchair and as far as we could away from the fire, couldn't get outside because of steps and wheelchair. But we were by the door and I had a plan to use the bedding again to drag neighbour out of the building if I needed to.

I used to work in social care, and thank God for the fire training I've had because it kicked in tonight and I did what I'd been trained to do, back of the hand door test, used the duvet to move the neighbour off the bed and would have used it again to get them out if necessary. Closed doors behind us etc.

Fire service were very quick responding, considering they're retained and not at the station. They were fantastic, got wheelchair neighbour straight out, put bed out properly and removed everything. I'm so grateful to them, amazing people. Comforted us.

Bed bound neighbour gone to hospital, unhurt but I think have inhaled a fair amount of smoke.

I'm a bit shocked by it all, it was frightening enough for me, and I can move, my neighbour must have been terrified - but - they'd been left with cigarettes and lighter and been smoking in bed.

I think I'm in a bit of shock tbh. Live alone and feel really unsettled and not sure what to do with myself now. Hopefully that'll wear off.

Not sure really why I'm posting. Maybe I just needed to share what's happened tonight. It was a minor fire that was thankfully put out before it got going but it could have been so different, it was seconds away from going up completely I think, judging by the damage to the mattress.

Anyway, big shout out to our fabulous fire service!

I hope this thread gets seen by the Doghouse mners.. A true hero. Obviously you too op. But would you have stirred if not for ddog? A different story we would be reading imo.

I hope the relevant help gets to your neighbours now.

I am not surprised you are in shock, OP. What an experience. It was seconds away from a disaster - your disabled neighbour could have been killed. You did incredibly well and you saved your neighbour. 👏❤️You deserve massive hugs, pats on the back, loud cheers…But you are in shock at the moment, take it easy.

You did something amazing. Well done on your instincts and doing what you did. And well done to your dog as well!

It must have be terrifying, so look after yourself. Try and get some sleep, but if you can't, just rest. Put something easy on Netflix or whatever and have a brew and snuggles with your dog.

Yes, thank goodness for OP’s dog!

Wow - Well done. You acted amazingly! If you weren't there, there would have been a very different outcome.

I hope it helped putting everything down here. Remember when you go over events, mindfully get to the good outcome and not just the initial shock and the early events. So helpful to you that you had fire training and knew how to act.

There is such good advice on here to help you process things. Wishing you the absolute best with that. xxx

The dog deserves a big thank you too. They raised the alarm!!

Well done firstly and honestly take a bit of time to get over the shock of this .It's hard when folks smoke in bed but there are things that can reduce risks .
Special Ash trays that close around the stubbed out cigs , Ash .
A fire resistant cover for bed mattress and top cover
Night wear that is more fire resistant
Heat alarm in bedroom .
Keeping water bottle beside the bed can be poured on .
If people have capacity they have right to make bad decisions however reducing risk to themselves and others including their own property often is an acceptable compromise.

Likely fire service will do referral to sw but I would also give a call to the local authority.

Eh?

Well done op

Was literally coming into say this. House fires happen, the risk can be reduced (the fire service are excellent at this) but they won't simply be put into a care home as some people seem to think.

Sure, it’s dangerous to smoke in bed but it appears they are both vulnerable and she is bed bound so need support not condemnation. Lots of people take risks with fire, leaving candles untended, dangerous wiring unchecked and so on but there are lots of good suggestions on this thread on how to mitigate the risks. Hoping someone will ‘be put into care’ rather than hoping someone will ‘get the support they need’ is a rather nasty little comment.

If they're bed bound of course they're smoking in bed. Don't be cross with them. They have very few pleasures in life left.
Glad you got there in time well done xx

You seem to be downplaying the incredible job you did tonight. I don't think it's over-stating the situation to say you saved their lives.
Well done.
Please look after yourself. xx

Well done, OP. You were amazing.

Please be gentle on yourself and don’t rush to feel like you should be back to “normal.” It can take longer than you might think to get past this kind of incident.

@WibbleyPie Well done to you and your dog.

Give your dog a big cuddle from me.

Thank goodness for your training OP well done for getting the neighbours safe.

Well done to you & your dog Op.

unfortunately the other little bugger took advantage of the situation to raid the bin

This one not so much😂

Wow didn't expect so many posts, thank you to everyone. As I'm on my own I just think I needed to get it all off my chest so to speak to try and calm down and put it into perspective.

To clarify a few points, we don't have shared areas at all because of how the place is designed and there's only our two flats and I have smoke alarms and test them every month and they are tested yearly when I have the gas safety check too. I guess mine would be classed as a maisonette rather than flat because it has it's own entrance in it's own garden completely separate.

My flat doesn't have any smoke or damage at all, I think I can still smell the smoke a bit but I'm not sure if it's on my slippers and maybe still some smell in my hair, although I showered last night and washed it. The smell was beyond anything I've ever smelled around a fire, and it was frightening how much smoke was caused by what was essentially a minor fire and the continued smouldering of the mattress. I dread to think if it had really taken hold, thankfully mobile neighbour had opened the front door but I think the bedroom door had possibly blown shut with the draught as it was closed when I got to it but I could hear them in there. That's when I used the back of the hand door test.

The mattress and bed were removed from the downstairs flat and the fire service used a big fan to get rid of the smoke, once the smoke was cleared out it was just the room that the fire was in that had any damage. Mobile neighbour stayed at home and the fire service were happy with him doing so in a different room.

I'm not really angry as such, I don't know them very well, have given lifts now and again, lent things like milk, got them shopping when it's been bad weather and popped in to let their dog out when bed bound neighbour in hospital and other neighbour visiting them etc.
Obviously I'm very concerned this will happen again, because I don't think they'll accept any help from anyone official. But that's just my opinion, I am going to speak to my LL on Monday and fill them in, and am reassured that the fire service are going to raise their concerns with the relevant people, and add mine on to it.

Because of the layout of the property, a ramp needs to be installed using part of my garden. Have already given my permission and my LL too, but as usual it's dragging on and on for the work to actually be done, hopefully this will illustrate exactly why it's essential, because it'd have made a huge difference during the night.

Hero dog has settled down, she was excited by all the activity and strange noise, but is her usual self this morning. I'm so incredibly grateful she's on the sensitive side and woke me up, because I'm not sure I'd have been woken by their smoke alarm, I could hear it when awake loud enough to know what it was, but had the fire taken hold I'd have probably been woken when smoke got into my flat and set mine off. I have evacuation plans should I need them, and I'll be buying a fire extinguisher. Bin dog couldn't give a toss and just enjoyed the unmonitored access to the bin they don't normally get I think!

I am fine physically this morning, I have a bit of a cold and cough anyway and there's nothing unusual about my breathing or how I feel this morning. But thank you to all for your concern and if I do feel unwell at all I will go to the walk in. I have a headache but I've not slept much and it's been a bit stressful and I do get headaches from stress anyway.
I'm going to work this afternoon, will take my mind off it, if I sit here all day I'll just wind myself up overthinking it, I have form!
I don't think I'm downplaying what happened, but describing it accurately really, and I think most people if alerted the way I was would have reacted the same way, but I am incredibly grateful to the dog, my training and the fire service, the relief when they arrived and I wasn't 'in charge' any more was immense.

I've been a bit tearful reading the responses here, and just want to thank all of you for the support, the posts and comments, it's exactly what I needed this morning as well as an opportunity to process it. I feel a bit daft to be honest, feeling a bit fragile and shaken up today. But I'm truly grateful to all of you. Thank you.

You and dear dog deserve all the treats. I know someone who fell asleep with a lit cigarette. His property wasn't entered because of fire or smoke but because of a welfare check. He wasn't elderly or disabled etc though he did live alone. He died in his flat from smoke inhalation but it wasn't enough smoke/ fire/ smell to alert any neighbours at the time. It appears he had woken and managed to put it out. No doubt you saved lives.

Op you feelings are pretty normal. And this is a great place to dump your worries during the night.

At one point their was a.thread or series of threads to 'mind worries' during the night with the Nightwatch. There's always someone reading. Able to hold a hand.

You've totally brought back my memories of chatting on here 5 years ago with my sons little incident, which was fairly minor in the global scale of things. But it was all consuming to me at the time.

@WibbleyPie

I am a semi ex smoker. Gave up and started vaping about a year ago, and smoked for a week on holiday in September (Enjoyed single one lol). So I also know what its like to be addicted.

It sounds like they can no longer care for themselves, so hopefully something will be done.

The spaniel is the hero dog and the shifty looking JRT the bin raider!

Gorgeous dogs!

That spaniel is so so clever!! Well done!!