We recently received this email from a reader and have been thinking about it pretty much ever since. So we thought we’d share it in the hope that Melanie’s story will help others out there who may have gone through the same experience and people like us who probably don’t know a thing about being prepared for something of this magnitude. Here’s a photo that Melanie sent to us.
Here’s her letter:
I’ve been stalking following your blog for just over a year thanks to making an offer on a short sale home in September of 2009. It was our dream and forever home. We spent the first two months washing, priming, and painting every single wall and ceiling. We replaced every hinge, door knob, light fixture, window treatment, and put in beautiful hardwood floors on both main levels and the stairs. You name it, we most likely did it.
Sadly, on Thursday January 6th, just before 6am I woke to the sound of two second story windows shattering followed by bright lights. I peeked into our guest bedroom and flames had just begun to enter, the smoke detectors went off seconds later. My husband, our 2.5 year old son, and I escaped safely with just the clothes on our backs. We had no shoes, socks, coats, or hats in subfreezing temps. Just each other and the love of our neighbors, friends, and families. It was quickly determined to be accidental, but we lost it all including my car. Our 2.5 story 2,000+ square foot home, plus in-law suite burned to the ground very quickly (one estimate was 30-60 minutes). Within hours we also learned of the love from acquaintances and strangers in our community and beyond.
We are very lucky to have each other and our lives- but our home, and all of the hard work and DIY projects we had done were gone so very quickly. We’ve already spent five hours documenting the structure of the house, and now begins the grueling task of itemizing each and every personal belonging. We’ve learned some of the “what would we do differently” as a result of this fire, that I’m hoping you consider for yourselves and might share with your readers:
- Subscribe to an online data backup service (my external back up drive sat right next to my laptop in my office)
- Keep passports in a safe deposit box
- Take pictures of each room initially and update them as improvements are made (storing them somewhere offsite – like Flickr)
- Take pictures and keep hyperlinks of all expensive purchases, including jewelry
- Hire an architect (my dad in our case) or use floorplanner.com to document each floor layout along with precise wall/ceiling measurements, each outlet, light switch, crown molding, other trim, type of flooring, any unique items to structure of property
- Put phones in a consistent place each night
- Get fire ladders for any second floor bedrooms
- Scan each photo and receipt, again keeping them offsite, or on an online data backup service
- Do not be frugal with homeowner’s insurance. Spend the extra $50 per year for the most coverage
Thank you for reading this and passing it along to your readers. -Melanie
Below is actual video of Melanie’s house. We can’t even imagine what she has been through:
We also got an email from a reader named Robin a while back. Her house nearly burned down at 2am on a Saturday morning. She and her family were thankfully able to get out safely and their home should be livable again in about three months. She also shared what she learned, so that we (and all of you) might be able to learn from her experience:
- Toasters aren’t the only appliances that burn. The source of Robin’s fire surprised us: her dishwasher. Her family was in the habit of starting the dishwasher as they headed off to bed – something John and I used to do as well – and it malfunctioned and sparked the fire. She sent us this photo to drive home the point. Along with reminding us to avoid running appliances overnight or when we’re out, Robin taught us that sending in the warranty card on all electronics is a must, since it’s the best way to ensure that you’ll get notified if there’s a defect or a recall.
- Robin also taught us that if your home has hard-wired detectors, be sure to have battery-powered ones as well. That way you have a back-up alarm in case of a power outage (which often happens during a fire). And remember to check the batteries twice a year. People often suggest doing it when you change the clock for daylight savings in the spring and fall as an easy way to remember. If you have children, consider installing a Talking Smoke Alarm in their room. Robin learned that studies show that kids under 17 often don’t respond to a traditional alarm, but they do respond to their parents’ voices. So these talking versions allow you to record a message that could even include instructions or comforting words.
- Robin learned first hand that despite living in her house for over two decades, the panic of a fire makes it easy to lose your bearings and become disoriented – especially if you’ve got smoke to deal with. Which is why she recommends figuring out at least two ways you can get yourself and others out of your house (in case one is blocked) and, if you have a second or third level, make sure at least one doesn’t rely on a stairwell (fire and smoke love traveling up stairs). Then practice your plan until it’s second nature.
Robin’s tip about the talking smoke alarm actually reminded us of a something my sister Emily learned while teaching fire safety to her kids. Emily decided to have a fire drill at home, and after talking through the route, reminding them to stay low, and pointing out that it might be hot and filled with smoke the kids were given the “Ready, set, go-go-go!” Olivia, who was about seven at the time, froze in place and started crying because the scenario was so scary. It was a huge wake up call to all of us because if this was her reaction during a drill, just imagine what she’d do if the house really were dark, hot, and smoky. As scared as Olivia was, Emily was grateful that she had a chance to talk her through it, put in some practice time, and improve her reaction response.
Thanks so much for Melanie and Robin for sharing their stories and their tips with us. We can’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to be in their shoes, but we’re so glad to hear that their families were unharmed and that everyone from their friends to their community has shown them some serious love and support. And speaking of love, we’re sending out lots of it- along with a huge thanks to both ladies for thoughtfully taking the time to share such an important message.
Deb says
Sentry fire safe saved all our documents ,all we had to do was send them pic of what was left of if and they sent us new one ,we also lost a five year old twin daughter in the fire ,it all happened the day before thanksgiving .I forgot to replace a battery in a smoke detector ,I dis-connected it because the slow beeping to warn me the battery was getting low was driving me nuts so dont be like me ,keep spares on hand ,it haunts me still today over not immediatly replacing that little battery .
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
Deb, I’m so sorry for you loss. So, very, very sorry :(
Jessica says
I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot even begin to imagine your heartbreak and what your family is going through. Reading through earlier comments I had been thinking of how many times I have been awoken in the middle of the night by that annoying “low battery” beep and removed the battery…and then never replaced it. None of us ever believe a tragedy will happen to us or to OUR family–be it a fire, a flood, a car accident. Please don’t blame yourself for the loss of your daughter. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Kristin says
Wow, what a time for you to post this. Just last week on Saturday night, my neighbors place was on fire. The even scarier thing is that we are living in rented single story attached homes so their house on fire can easily turn into our 4 houses on fire. The neighbor was doing their last load of laundry and threw their clothes in the dryer, turned it on, and left the house. The firefighters discovered the fire started inside the super duper old dryer that came with the place. Thankfully we have little closets with bi-fold doors and fans so since the fire was inside the dryer, she closed the doors, and their was a vent, only that little room had serious damage.
Where were we when this happened? We had run some errands, then stopped right by our house to get gas before we headed home. We heard some fire engines, but thought nothing of it. We head home and as we turn down our street we see the fire trucks are there, then notice they are hooking up to the hydrant right outside our little complex. Thankfully our newest neighbor was home and saw all the smoke, was pounding on all of our doors and since no one else was home he then called 911.
I think it is important for everyone to realize that they should treat these kinds of machines like an oven (even if they are brand-spanking-new) – you would never leave your oven or a burner on when you leave the house or go to bed, so follow the same thing for other appliances in your house. I am thankful that nothing happened to ourselves, our cats, and our belongings, but it sure has made me realize the steps we need to take to be prepared for a situation like that.
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
This is heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing your experience to use as a learning lesson, Melanie.
Every time I leave the house with our dog locked in “his room” I fear for a fire. We had close friends lose everything and it’s truly life shattering. Thank you for all the reminders of how to make the process of picking up and starting over ever so slightly less painful.
Allison K says
I will def. need to put a fire escape ladder on my list. I remember practicing fire drills when I was little with my parents.
Another kind of drill that a lot of people don’t think of is a home invasion drill. People don’t like to think it will happen, so they over look it. But statistically you are 5 times more likely to have your house broken into while you are in it, than have a house fire. It’s really important to talk about what you would do, and what the kids should do(like where to hide), if that should happen.
Our house was broken into during the day(when I am usually home, but wasn’t that day), and thanks to my persistence with tidying the laptop under the couch EVERY time I leave, it was the only electronic not taken. Our cameras were just sitting out.
Jenn says
In our old neighborhood 2 houses had burnt down (they were brick so there shell was still there). The first house fire happened in the evening and the neighbors ran in to get the woman who passed out and her dog. The second house happened in the morning just after everyone went to work. A neighbor saw flames shooting from the upstairs window and called 911 and ran to help. No person was hurt, but they lost their pets (really scares us since we would be devastated to lose our pets). In both cases the families lost everything, even though their dishes were not “damaged” they couldn’t use them because of all the chemicals the fire department used. It was wonderful as a neighborhood to come together and help them. We donated money, household goods, and love and support. It also reminded to make a video of our possessions which we uploaded online and stored a DVD in our fire safe. We also took digital photos of our items, including our closets and drawers of clothes. Another thing with home owners insurance, we paid the extra so we don’t have to worry about depreciation. All we have to do is say we have a fridge and they don’t ask how old, just replace it with what is most equivalent today. That really takes some of the stress out of rebuilding. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Andrea says
Truly shocking and a wakeup call to us all. Thanks for sharing XXX
barb says
thank you for writing this article and thanks to melanie and robin for sharing their story. in reading it i realized we are completely unprepared for a fire. its also good to note that while we don’t have children we do have 5 pets (3 dogs, and 2 cats) which we will have to get a plan for what to do to get them to safety if a fire happens. living in wisconsin, we have prepared and needed more than once, a tornado safety plan. let me just say when alarms in town go off, wrangling 5 pets to the basement takes a minute, so get a plan in place. being prepared is priceless.
Alison says
This is such a great post. Thank you for sharing! I am going home tonight to scan all my important home-related receipts and subscribe to an online back-up service!!!
Cheri @ I Heart Old Houses says
Thanks for the powerful wake-up call. Our old house has iffy wiring and, yes, sometimes we run appliances like the dishwasher at night. We have two battery-operated fire alarms, but no clear emergency plan. That’s going to change!
I can’t imagine what Melanie and Robin went through, but I’m so thankful they are sharing their stories to help others stay safe.
Wendy says
Thank you so much for posting this. As a brand new homeowner the thought of a house fire terrifies me. Knowing the steps to get out safely and preserve the important things (who would have thought about the passports?!) is essential.
Wendy
steph anne says
This is scary! I’m always worried about our house burning down even though it’s still new (2006). I think the biggest scare for me is that I’m deaf. I need to get a flashing fire alarm system installed.
I’ve been looking for an online data backup service and came across Mozy. I’m curious if you guys use an online data backup service and if you recommend any other websites if not Mozy?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve never used Mozy but we’ve heard good things! Anyone have recommendations for Steph Anne?
xo,
s
Chelsea in Richmond says
If you have a PC, I highly recommend carbonite. I used it at a previous employer and never had problems. Very easy to use. Now that I have a mac, I had to find something else.
All the mac users at my current workplace use dropbox. I’ve been meaning to set it up for my own computer and this article kicked my butt in gear. I set it up this afternoon and it was so easy!
Kathleen says
In my attempts to reduce clutter, I placed my fire extinguishers in the cabinet next to my stove. However, I realized that any who is visiting my house or who might be in need of it would not know it was there. I have since brought it back out into the open in a very noticeable place for this reason. It does no good if someone who needs it can’t see it immediately.
Michele says
Thanks so much Melanie, John and Sherry for sharing. I’m so glad that Melanie and her family are safe. Great tip about the talking smoke alarm and “practicing” drills with your children. My five year old son also became very frightened when I talked to him about how to dial 911, but this is a reminder of how important these conversations are. Funny how kids do fire drills all the time at school but we don’t always think to do them at home.
Andee says
Another GREAT post! Thanks for sharing. The floorplan generator that you shared has a steep learning curve to me. I plan to look for an online tutorial this weekend.
Elizabeth says
So scary!
I found this “Home Inventory Checklist” from the State Farm website. It’s a good place to start.
http://www.statefarm.com/_pdf/home_inventory_checklist.pdf
anna says
Wow, excellent post and great timing. My husband’s coworker just lost their home and everything they own this week to fire as well. A problem with an electrial board in the home. They’d just bought this home about a year ago. It has my husband and I wondering how we can better protect ourselves against such loss and these are some great pointers.
shelby says
Thanks for sharing this story — it’s always a good reminder that disasters strike all the time. In St. Louis our Red Cross responded to nearly 1,000 house fires in 2010. Readers might want to check out the Red Cross’s Be Red Cross Ready web site as well. http://72.3.171.147/#SITE
Katie says
Also remember to keep fire extinguishers in areas of your house where fires are common (laundry room, kitchen, and garage), and always check to be sure they are charged!
Charlotte says
Would it be difficult for you guys to have a Facebook share button? I know I can take the link from this and share it on Facebook, but it seems like an easy way for you guys to encourage people to share posts that they find helpful and think others would like. Just a thought :) (And if you have one on here and I’m just blind, please ignore me!)
Thank you for sharing this with us.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Charlotte,
If you click the “Like” button on the bottom of any post, it should show up in your Facebook feed as something that you like (which is effectively the same thing as “sharing” it). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dana says
Wow – what a great post to share with your faithful bloggers. My thoughts are with Melanie and her family – I’m so glad they all got out okay and no one was hurt. I can’t agree more with her suggestions. On January 2 of this year, my car was broken into while I was at the gym. They stole my purse (which had the contents of my entire life inside of it!) and our laptop, which I was going to be dropping off at Best Buy after the gym. I know, I know – I shouldn’t leave my purse or laptop in the car unattended – although they were hidden, but obviously not well enough. Lesson learned – the hard way. After that happened, we realized the importance of keeping documentation of expensive items (receipts, photos, etc) which of course, we never thought of doing because “it’ll never happen to us”. Yeah, right! And online back up is a must. We lost so many personal photos, important documents, and all of our iTunes music when the laptop was stolen – $5/month for online backup is worth every penny. Also, spending the extra money for more homeowner’s insurance is also important – another lesson we learned the hard way. We will be doing things much differently in our household from now on after this wake up call – so I do hope this post helps others protect their valuable items and things that are important before having to learn the hard way… because the hard way is no fun at all!
Thanks for posting this Sherry and John!
Jenna says
What online backup do you use?
Christine says
Great post. So valuable! And I am so glad that the family is okay! But so sorry for the loss of their home!
In our area, firefighters will visit individual homes and run drills with kids, and they seem to make a bigger impression on kids than their parents do!
A good alternative to fire ladders are escape chutes, which require less dexterity to use, protect from flames and heat, and let you carry down kids or pets. There are also fire ladders that can be built into a box in the wall, below the window. (My sil and bil are retired firefighters, can you tell?)
Lindsay says
I had a fire in my apartment (caused by contractors remodeling the apartment above mine!) 2 years ago. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having renter’s insurance. After getting through the scary part of having the fire, the insurance helped me put everything back together, pay for a temporary place to stay, and replace all of my lost belongings. Renters insurance is usually pretty inexpensive but worth every penny!
Kristy says
This is very sad but your post is a good reminder. I also want to add another fire risk is those using dryers in basements that have to use specially made buckets (not sure what it’s really called) that have water in them if they don’t have the option of directing it outside. Forgive me I am sleep deprived but I am sure you know what I am talking about.
Marlena says
Thoughts of health and safety for Melanie and Robin. Thank you for sharing their story. I went to the website and immediately purchased the talking smoke alarm and will purchase a ladder for our second story.
Heather Hartford says
I live in the same town as Melanie, and also have been lovingly fixing up my home since buying it 2 1/2 years ago. I can’t imagine anything scarier and am so glad that she and her family got out OK. Thank you for the great advice which I *will* be taking. It’s the stuff you never think about until it’s too late….
Jennifer B. says
In December, I was making my Christmas fudge, and the sugar boiled over and filled the whole house with smoke. I discovered something odd… no alarm went off. My husband checked the smoke detector, and THERE WAS NO BATTERY! Seriously, we’d been living in our house for 6 months with no battery in the smoke detector. Fortunately for us, it was just boiled over sugar (but MAN does that smoke!). Always check your smoke detector battery!
Jennifer B.
Christin says
I haven’t read through all the comments, so there may already be plenty of suggetions for online back up systems, but here’s one: http://mozy.com/. I have friends who use it and it’s very affordable, especially if you think of all that could be saved if this kind of disaster ever hits you. I’m definitely looking into it.
Zerique says
wow, very touching. i am a little teary eyed at just how quickly this can happen to someone that would least expect it. It is a wake up call me as well since I also run appliances at night and wehn we leave the house. Thanks for sharing.
MS says
Wow, so glad that these families are both okay after such a horrible loss. Ya, its just “stuff” but that stuff has such meaning to all of us, especially us DIYers who have put in all that hard work.
Also, Olivia’s reaction to a drill reminded me to mention this-talk with your kids about how to get out obviously, but also to never EVER hide from a fireman. Kids get scared in fires easily and firemen look scary with all their equipment on. Ask your local fire station if they will suit up to show your kids what “help” looks like.
Cristina says
Thanks for this post.
Recently I’ve joined some “fire safety” class for my business. They showed us how quickly a house can go on fire.. carpet,curtain, couch and so on.. in seconds.. it was really horrible. The “teacher” told us that he keeps always a couple of little fire extinguisher in his house (one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom) I believe this is a good idea too ;-)
Beth says
My heart goes out to both Melanie & Robin, and other readers who have experienced such tragedy. So thankful they and their families managed to escape. I can’t even imagine.
Great post full of great and life saving advice. This is definitly the wake up call I needed. While I hate to see more posts like this due to someone enduring a real life tragedy, I would love to see more posts along these lines. Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual and it’s nice to have a community to help swap ideas and tips, even for tragic events like this.
Jana says
Incredible that Melanie and her family made it out safe and alive. I was an insurance agent for 10 years and everything she is talking about in terms of documentation and record keeping are absolutely true and so important in the claims process. It can makes the difficult experience of putting things back together a lot easier.
Melanie and Robin are in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks YHL for such an important post.
Danielle says
Thank you so much for sharing. Sometimes we need reminders to get our butts in gear. I am diligent about replacing and testing our smoke alarm batteries, and I often lay awake at night playing out emergency scenarios in my head (ie. if there is a fire in X room we’ll get out X way, if someone breaks in I’ll …) You get the idea. I’ve been know to wake my hubby up and ask him things like “So, if there was a fire in the baby’s room what will we do?” I’m sure it’s annoying to be woken up by your crazy wife, I just need to have some peace of mind that we have a plan. Not to mention I am guilty of running appliances when we go to bed, and I have yet to document all our belonging which I have been saying I’ll do for 2 years now…I know what I’ll be doing this weekend.
Amy says
Melanie, I am so sorry for what you and your family have been through. I saw your house on the news, and the night before it happened, the house across the street from me (a few towns south) burned down as well. So scary.
Thanks to you and Robin for sharing your experiences. I have been living without a fire extinguisher, renter’s insurance, or any kind of backup for important info- not smart! This is a good kick in the pants to get my act together and be prepared.
Reenie says
WOW….I always start my dishwasher when I go to bed too! Never again. Thx for the post and my thoughts and prayers to Melanie & Robin.
Annalea says
Thanks so much for posting this. I’ve honestly tried to not think about fire, but this is a good wake-up call.
I do have a great off-site back up service, though, called BackBlaze. (No affiliation or kick-back for this.) $5/month per computer (no storage limit, as far as I understand), and you have a complete image of your computer at their site. Files you delete on your computer are kept for a month there before mirroring your deleting. Both my husband and I use it, and I can’t tell you what peace of mind it brings, running both TimeMachine for local, worry-free back up (I have a Mac), and BackBlaze for off-site catastrophic insurance.
K . . . now to figure out two ways out of our second story rooms . . . ugh.
Liz says
I work in property management. We require all of our renter’s to be insured with at least liability coverage. I encourage personal property as well- especially when you are sharing walls with strangers!
heyruthie says
i’m sure you already know that another well-known DIY’er and home blogger, Edie from Life in Grace, lost her house to fire around Christmas. She is extremely talented and resourceful (painted her original kitchen turquoise!) and had just finished a gorgeous kitchen reno. Her whole family was safe. But stories like these remind us all that no matter how much of a “hobby” (or full-time job!) working on the house may be, it’s still just a “thing” that we have to hold with an open hand.
Edie’s blog is here:
http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Rosi T says
My house burned to the ground 10 years ago, we lost everything. It still brings chills to my heart and anytime I make purchases I am frugal because of it. I don’t make big purchases and I keep any of my belongings to a complete minimum if possible.
I hope those two and their families are doing okay, it makes me sad anytime i hear about another family having to go through this.
Beth says
Wow, this was an eyeopening post. I personally do not own a home yet, but I have forwarded it on to my family and friends who are homeowners. Very informative and well written. My thoughts are with both Melanie and Robin as they rebuild their homes and their lives!
Christina H says
This is absolutely one of my biggest fears. A while back I worked with Red Cross on the base that we were stationed. I teamed up with the fire department and we put on a simulation of what a fire would be like. It was such an eye opener to the parents and children because it’s truly scary, even the drill. Most children had no idea the need to walk under the smoke! Children tend to be scared of firefighters in their gear so they hide from them.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have the escape plan and practice it. I seriously suggest looking into community events that show children how great firefighters and police are and they aren’t scary.
the best says
Scary! Just when you though you’d be prepared for something like this w/insurance etc etc… My fav’s on the list were: Put phones in a consistent place each night (with cell phones (and no landline) ours are NEVER in the same place. and -Get fire ladders for any second floor bedrooms. I always thought this was overkill- but the truth is…if you are trapped upstairs, they would be the only way out. Thanks for the post and getting my wheels turning!
Carmel @ our fifth house says
This is heartbreaking. I’m so glad both families stayed safe. Having a battery operated back-up is really smart; I’ll be going to get one soon!
Linda says
My heart is aching for these families. Fires are such devastating things, in the past year my cousins lost their home in a fire and it’s taking over a year to re-build it. The day before New Year’s our cousin’s brother also had a house fire and they’ll also likely be without their home for the next year. And near where we live was the San Bruno fire. Those tips are SOOOOO important for everyone because you never know what will happen to you.
And as someone who frequently runs the dishwasher at night (I just did this last night in fact!) or the dryer, I’m surely going to stop.
Thank you so very much for bringing this to my attention. Best wishes to both of these families!
Linda says
P.S. My husband is a firefighter and we are fairly prepared, but even we have a few things we need to do like hire an online data service.
Alexa says
Thanks for sharing! All important reminders. A family friends home also burnt down due to a dish washer fire. House totally gone, but everyone did get out safe. My family is always really careful with dishwasters and dryers now.
Meghann says
So sorry for Melanie and Robin’s loss – but glad both families are safe and finding love from their community. Great lessons about how to document belongings and updates. As a single 27 yr old – I just purchased my first house on my own and fire has always been my biggest fear. I have battery operated smoke detectors in every room but also opted for the a alarm system smoke detector – it sends a signal to my wireless alarm system and they notify the fire department immediately. Or if I am not home, it will assure that they get to my house as soon as possible. It is a bit of an extra cost, but could be useful for some and give a bit of piece of mind. As a note, the alarm system I went with has a battery back up, so if power goes out it will still work. Thanks for sharing this story, sending my thoughts to both families.
Dusa says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this!
Sabrina says
My heart just sank reading this post. My house burned down when I was a kid and it still kind of haunts me today. Coffee pot fire. So you are SO right about mentioning the appliances. Our coffee pot was a just plugged in, but caused an electrical short and from there the entire house when up. Thanks for posting something that many people might not be aware of.
Elisa says
Wow, thank you for this post. You think your day-to-day stress is mounting and then you see a post like THIS. Thanks for bringing me back down to earth and our little family (two dogs and a cat) will work on becoming more prepared for an emergency this weekend. :)
Melissa @ A Place to Nest says
Because of this I went to walmart and ordered the smoke detector for my son and 2 ladders since we have 2 stories- one for each end of the house. The total cost with ship to store was 115 bucks. Just in case anyone was wondering the price of all of this.