To ask you all to please check your smoke alarms, today

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

We had a fire last night. Our freezer seems to have started it (electrical fault) DD1 woke me at 2am as the smoke alarm was going off, and we managed to get out and call the fire brigade before the back kitchen blew apart. the fire Brigade were wonderful, and the fire didn't spread too far, but ONLY because we were woken by the smoke alarm.

The kitchen is trashed, I have no fridge/ freezer/ food/ gas (gas meter melted and had to be removed, as leaking) The whole house stinks, and we are going to have to stay at dad's until we can get it sorted

BUT we are alive, and the damage done was minimised by getting the Fire Brigade in in the early stages of the fire.

I am so so so thankful that we had a working smoke alarm. We do check it, but probably not as often as we should. So can I urge you all to please check yours today, and go over your fire action plan.

What a horrible thing to happen - hope you're able to get things sorted soon.

And a timely reminder to us all.........thank you!

for you. Glad you all got out safely though. Hope your DC are ok
I will check our alarms as soon as DH comes home as he is the only one who can reach them

Oh God, how terrifying for you! So pleased you're all okay. Thanks for the reminder

Phew, glad you're all okay.

Our smoke alarms tend to be tested every morning when one of us overdoes the toast Know what you mean though, can't be too careful.

Congratulations on being alive and safe, commiserations on the fire, and you are just lovely to think at such a time of reminding us all.

Make testing the smoke alarm a weekly routine - last thing Friday night or whatever - and use good quality batteries.

And if somebody gives the DCs presents on CD whicn need batteries don't take them out of the smoke alarm - go to the petrol station or even make the little darlings wait.

Akiram

Can't you stand on a chair?

another yes I can, but still can't reach the smoke alarm!

Sorry to hear about your house, but thank goodness you're all ok. About ten years ago I watched a neighbour's house burn down. The old lady that lived there was still inside . It's not something that I will forget.

Pozzled :(

Jooly - thank god you are all OK! Well done DD2! I hope you can get the house back together and be home again soon, but it's really a minor problem all considered isn't it. Did you lose anything sentimental or was it all just replaceable applicances etc? Maybe you can have one put closer to your bedroom so you hear it too. I hope you are all able to put it behind you quickly.

Glad you and family are ok OP.

Could I also just add that smoke alarms over 10 years old need to be replaced. This is a little known fact and we only found out when my parents had a fire in their living room. The fire alarm was regularly checked and beeped but didn't go off when the fire started because it was so old. My dad had just had an op and was asleep recovering. Luckily the smell of smoke woke him and he was able to get out in time but the whole downstairs was totalled.

Thanks all! Was a bit traumatic, but thankfully nothing really sentimental lost (although was a bit miffed that all the lovely shopping I'd just had delivered and put away a few hours before was now ruined, sob!)

ChippingIn- the fire alarm is right outside my bedroom door I am a very deep sleeper- thankfully dd is not! I actually thought it was my alarm clock and was trying to put it on snooze

Poor DH came home today after 2wks away- I had to text him to say phone me before you go home, as he would have had a bit of a shock if he had just gone home to find half the kitchen gone and the appliances melted and standing in the front garden.

It now looks like we are going to have a battle with the insurance, unfortunately. My policy was "handed over" to another company, and I thought it was just a straightforward continuation of my policy. It now appears that the new company reduced my buildings cover- by £350,000!! Without telling me! Add that to the fact that the gas company are being awkward re fitting a new gas meter, refusing to speak to DH, even given my permission, despite the fact that he is home and trying to sort things, and I am at work, trying to run a business and (sod's law) having a busy day. Sigh. I really don't need any more battles to fight right now.

Why would they reduce your cover unilaterally? If anything companies put cover up and then just sound out a confirmation - things never get cheaper.

I have no idea, goingbacktowork- they certainly didn't reduce my premium- quite the opposite! I guess that's why I didn't for a moment think about it, and no doubt I'm going to be told I should have checked the policy more carefully I just assumed as it was a "continuation" of my old policy all the details/ amounts would be kept the same.

So another warning- as well as checking your smoke alarm, check your home insurance policy to check they haven't changed anything without telling you!

Thank god your all alright.

Fire is one of my biggest fears but the bonus of that is I do check my alarms regulary.

If anyone hasn't got alarms, or knows a relative who hasn't, phone the local fire station and they will install them for free and do a full safety check on the house.

I've got one of those wired into the mains bastards that goes off when I make toast every morning but in light of this thread I'm not so hateful of it now.

Glad you're ok, OP!

Glad you're ok. Can I expand on the advice a little? Check your fire alam is in a position where at the point it's activated (when smoke hits it) you have a sure escape route. We had a fire in our last house andthe alarms were on the landing ceiling at the top of the house. Noone had really considered the house would be filled from top to bottom with smoke before they would activate. I woke before they went off, but they actually went off at least 25 minutes after THAT, when the fire brigade had attended and extinguished the fire.