I have been waiting for something interesting to write about all year. Honestly, sometimes you just hit a rut where it seems like every day is just about the same day with a slight variation here or there. This week I got a slight plot twist.

On Wednesday, I told my wife in the morning that we should save some money and make the pork chops we had in our freezer. So about 6:15 we both are finally like, "okay let's put those bad boys on" and my wife, as she always does, put the grease on the stove and put alumninum foil to prevent, you know, fire. Well anyway my wife comes in the living room for like 20 seconds (or less) and we watch a snippet of the last "Friends" syndicated rerun and I glance in the kitchen and it is orange. "That looks strange, " I think and then between weird color and the black smoke rapidly coming out of the kitchen it hit me.

"The kitchen's on fire!!!", I scream and we both run into the kitchen and sure enough the whole stove is on fire and the fire is starting on the wall behind it. Smoke was now in the whole kitchen so I quickly raised the window and I am only able to think, "You know water would be good right about now." I didn't think about the fire extinguisher and I wouldn't have been able to get to it anyway because now there was not only fire but sparks coming from the vent area above the stove, I coud reach the cabinent so I got a plastic cup and filled it with water and threw it about 5 feet to the fire. It went down slightly. My wife was screaming that you weren't supposed to throw water on a grease fire. I was hoping the fire I didn't know that. I told her to go outside and call 911. Our two girls were already outside playing and oblivious, than God. I filled the cup again and thankfully the water seemed to be doing the trick. I did it about three more times and the fire was aboout out, with sparks still flying fast and furious from the overhead area. I ran outside and in only about a minute I could already hear fire trucks. I ran back inside because I remembered the stove was till on and I was afraid the fire would start back. The fire was still extinguished but the knob to turn it off was melted and I did my best to turn it off. Then I ran back outside and waited for the fire department.

The first truck came. The guys got out, ran into the house, ran back out of the house, put oxygen masks on, and ran back in. They started doing all these things like blowing fans in the house and they took the whole stove out of the wall. While they were doing all this another fire truck came. And then another. And then another. And then one more. That's right, five fire trucks. They were all at an apartment fire nearby and weren't sure who could respond first so apparently they all did. Needless to say, the neighbors were all coming out of their houses, thinking maybe that a new "Die Hard" was being filmed. We were mortified but also grateful nobody got hurt and the damage wasn't worse.

So now, we are going to have a crew cleaning our house for the next two weeks because smoke and soot got everywhere. And we'll have to get a new stove and eventually find a way to remove the one currently sitting on our back porch. But I learned a few things from all of this.

One, events like this bring out the good in others. My neighbors were awesome, being really supportive and doing things like going out and getting some MacDonalds for my girls. Later that night my sister got us some pizza and gave my girls a bath while my wife and I tried to process everything.

Another thing, I gained even more respect for firefighters and other emergency workers. They got to the house in about 3 minutes and apologized for taking so long.

I learned I needed to be better prepared for things like this. But honest to God in my 37 years I have never had anything remotely happen like this. We all should be more vigilant because most of the time tragedies happen to people who have never had tragedies happen to them before and it only takes seconds for things to break very badly.

Most of all, things like this make you appreciate who you have in your life so much more. I am so grateful my girls were outside when it happened. I am so grateful my wife was okay. I am grateful that my daughter's pink blanket and my other daughter's stuffed animals didn't get burned because insurance helps you replace some things but can't replace special toys or pictures or keepsakes of the heart.

So be careful, y'all. Life can turn on a dime and we all should realize that we are not promised anything and every day is a gift.

I'm so sorry you had a fire, glad no one was hurt!

Scary!
Glad everyone is ok.

at the title... will actually read what you wrote now!!!

omg! that's crazy!

gotta said:

salt, man!! baking soda!! lol you are pretty wonderful, you know that? even in the face of destruction you can make people laugh. i think it would be pretty cool to be your wife. thank goodness you are okay!

im glad u r all safe

a house went up in our street last week- thank god for smoke alarms-they only just got out.

the family are safe, but two family cats gone

we (my son and i) walk past this house every day



pls- all, check ur smoke alarms- and if u dont have one- go get one now!!!

and-if u have deadlocks in ur house, pls make sure u have a key in the lock when in the house.

wow and the special white pants were unharmed also

glad you are all okay!

That sucks, Gotta.



So glad you, the wife, Cow, JustinTimberlake and CaptainChaos are okay.

My family had a fire almost thirty years ago, but it felt like yesterday. Red Cross, government funds, family and friends gave us a helping hand. The place we've got was much better than the place that was burned down. Everything happens for a reason. With support and faith in Him, it will work out.

no one got hurt thats the most important thing.
I remember when I first saw the movie final destination 2 I slowed down and tried to be more careful because I usually would multitask and sometimes that can lead to accidents.

GottaLetitgo said:

Great advice. I suffered something like this as a kid and I have been preparedness nerd ever since. I have a stupid big earthquake kit for the home and smaller ones for the car and office, for example. Your post reminds me to check my extinguishers and smoke alarms, however.

Really glad to hear nobody got hurt and the fire was put out relatively quickly!

Thank you for sharing. The lessons you took from that experience are an encouragement.

glad to hear your all safe....and as my dad would say, a stove can be replaced, you can't. it's only money.



as I was reading the story I kept thinking to myself "where's the punchline?"

Well, bloody hell! Next time you have a thread starting drought, can you at least try to win the lottery or something?!

I'm so sorry that you had this happen and I'm SO pleased that everyone is ok. Did they give you any idea what started the fire?

(I'll be checking my smoke alarms in the morning...)

This is a mixed blessing...No one was hurt, yet there was a fire. Sorry for the setback. Each year our city asks the residents what they want to be kept safe from the cutting axe during budget cutbacks. We all make sure to respond not to touch the police or fire line items.

Don't have time to respond to everyone who has written on the thread tonight but I just want to collectively thank all who responded for now. I have come to the Org in times of stress and strife over the years and every time it has been a great source of consolation and inspiration. People can say want they want about Facebook and MySpace. But I really don't think there is a site out there with more pure decency and humanity than the Org.

As JT would say, "Yo, you all rock, yo!"

GottaLetitgo said:

right back atcha man.

thank God everyone is ok.

I am going to check my fire extingusisher that in under the sink by the stove, maybe I'll move it by the door because if there is a fire on the stove I won't be able to get to it or any baking soda, flour or anything.

thanks for making me think.

give the wife extra hugs and kisses this week

Close call. So glad your family is fine.