to ask you to check your smoke detectors tonight?

[MadCap]

My best friend lost her home to a house fire last night. Their smoke detector woke them at 4 am. Luckily, my df, her dh and her 2 very young dcs escaped unhurt. Their alarm saved their lives. I was nearly sick when we got her message. The first thing we did was check ours.

WIBU to ask you all to check yours?

Thank you, I will. Your poor friend, but thank god they are alright x

Thank God she and her family are OK, Madcap.

I promise I will. One is just beeping but I have another carbon monoxide and smoke alarm.

Anyone else?

Everyone should also have a fire escape plan.

I will log off & check mine now.

YANBU.

So glad that your friend & family are OK.

I have main powered smoke alarms which ate check every Monday.

I was trapped in a house fire when I was 7 where my dozy mother took the battery's out because they went off when cooking.

Glad they are all safe

Just going to check now, glad your friends escaped unhurt.

Didn't log off but went & tested.

My ears hurt!

But a great piece of advice that should be given weekly.

Euphemia It was an electrical fault. They live in Miami and I live in the UK. Just wish I could be there to help out.

My dinner tests the alarms nightly.

My Dad is a fireman so its something that crosses my mind regularly. I habe smoke alarms, escape routes 'planned'. Doors shut when I go to bed, lights off, extinguisher in my room. Phone by my bed.

Its about planning.

Its not just about smoke alarms but that IS The main thing.

My dinner tests the alarms nightly.

My goes if I ever have a cooked breakfast.

OP glad your friend and her family are OK.

How do you check them?

We have ours checked by our local fire safety team which is attached to the fire service once every 3 months plus we check them ourselves too every week. Savoy there should be a button on it that you press. The fire safety team near you can do a safety check on your house. Google it.

There is a red button in the middle of them to press to check it goes off. If it doesn't, change your battery and re-try.

Also make sure you have one on every floor of your house as closed doors do a lot to retain a fire but might also stop smoke reaching the alarm (fireman's daughter)

Mine are linked to the mains and have battery back up. One one ground and one on first floor. Stoopid HA put one in the kitchen too but they disconnected that one when I rang them when I was trying to cook tea. They still get tested every night and I can assure you, they work very well. I am also obsessed with doors being shut and an escape plan.

I'm glad I started this thread. I didn't know about the doors thing.

Thanks, will give them a press.

My elderly auntie won't entertain the idea of a smoke detector. I wish I could persuade her to change her mind.

Mine gets tested every morning, the bloody shower sets it off. I hate it, cos it is mains wired and I can't move it when it starts going berserk. Even boiling food is sometimes enough to set it off. Burnt toast and zilch though. This was our LL's bright idea, I really wish she had left the old ones in.

Sorry to hear about your best friend, MadCap.

Yes, doors are very important. My neighbour had a fire in her kitchen, tumble dryer just burst in to flames. She ran through the door and shut it behind her. Got the DC out, called the fire brigade, brought DC in to my house. Our FB are part time, so took a little while. I saw her house afterwards and although the whole house was smoke damaged, not one lick of a flame got past that door.

Also if you suspect you have a fire behind a closed door do not touch the handle. Place your hand on the door, if it is warm do not open it. Get out. Make sure window lock keys are in locks.

Monday is my testing day. Thanks for reminding us all - your poor friend, but thank God they are all OK.

She posted some pictures last night. I just feel so awful for her. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about what ifs.