Watch this video that shows how fast a house burns within a matter of seconds! Inside a Burning House
Then ask yourself: Would I be prepared in the event of a house fire?
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What Exactly IS the Fire House Test?
I felt we would be prepared in the event of a house fire. We had a fire ladder upstairs and I felt secure knowing if there was a fire upstairs I would be able to escape.
In addition, I had just replaced the smoke and carbon monoxide detector on the first floor of the house the week before the fire.
Sadly, I thought this would detect ANY fire in the house. However, THIS IS NOT THE CASE!
Click to see if you pass the quiz for Fire House Test .
Even after my house fire, I did not pass the Fire House Test and I still have lots of work to do!
House Fire Test Failure –
Part I
On January 23, 2020, another one of my cleaning moods had struck.
This particular Saturday night, I was enjoying my alone time, lit my candle and set about to clean and put items away.
Having been diagnosed with ADHD in early childhood, cleaning has been a way to ease my anxiety and let out my energy.
After I was done hanging my clothes and scarves on the back of my bedroom door, I started to vacuum.
House Fire Test Failure –
Part II
A few minutes later, I noticed some dust in the air and a burnt smell that reminded me of a belt breaking in a vacuum.
As I started to vacuum the other side of the room, I noticed the dust and burnt smell had become more intense.
In frustration, I turned off the vacuum and started to examine the vacuum to find out what belt had broken, not having any idea of what was taking place in the next room in a matter of seconds!
House Fire Test Failure – Part III
To my horror, huge flames that were coming from behind the bedroom door.
As I watched the flames increase in intensity in a matter of seconds, I felt a panic and fear I had never felt before.
Immediately, I started screaming for my son.
In comparison, a mother grows to know her babies different types of cries, Billy knew something was different about his mother’s cry.
My scream was a piercing, agonizing scream Billy said he had never heard from me before.
The cry my son heard was not one of a mother getting ready to scold her child.
Hearing his mother scream like this, Billy knew something was very wrong as he raced upstairs to my room.
House Fire Test Failure – Part IV
My phone was on the nightstand where the fire started and I was not able to call 911.
Billy immediately saw what was happening and ran downstairs to get buckets of water in order to start putting out the fire.
When I witnessed how fast the fire and smoke was growing, I screamed we needed to get out of the house.
The fire intensified in its flames and the sound was that similar to that of a huge “whooshing” sound that was growing louder and louder by the second.
However, Billy is determined to put out the fire in order to not cause more damage to the house.
By now, Billy, his girlfriend and I, are all taking turns running up and down the stairs with buckets of water in order to put the fire out.
Billy yells that by the time the fire trucks get here, the whole house will burn down.
In Billy’s own ADHD style, my son is hyper-focused and will stop at nothing to stop this fire. At this point, Billy doesn’t hear me screaming for us to get out and is super focused on not letting the fire intensify.
Billy has become on fire himself – focused, fearless and puts out the fire!
Top Causes of House Fires
Even though I was careful while burning candles, it only took one careless moment to cause a fire in a matter of seconds. Here are some top cause of house fires:
- Not cleaning the dryer vent is another top cause of house fires.
- Unattended cooking in the kitchen. Cooks – STAY IN THE KITCHEN!
- Candles are in the top 10 causes of fires! You can read about candle safety facts from the Red Cross before you burn your next candle! Better yet – GO FLAMELESS as I did!
- Keep portable heaters away from items that can catch fire.
- Falling asleep in the bedroom while smoking
How to Prepare for a House Fire
Believe me when I say this: Being prepared will save your life and your family’s lives!
Now that most of us are home due to COVID 19, ( insert link) take some time and make sure your family is prepared! Take advantage of this time at home to draw up a family emergency plan!
The first step is to sit down with your children and create your own family fire safety plan.
How To Create a Family Fire Safety Plan
Gather the kiddos around the table, along with an assortment of their favorite colored pens or crayons, along with a pad of paper.
As a family, discuss and go over the following to create your very own Fire Safety Plan!
- Draw a layout of each level of your house
- Discuss two ways out of each room
- Appoint a “Fire Marshall” in the family. This is the person that is responsible for making sure everyone gets out of the house as expected and planned
- Write down the fire department and police phones numbers for your city
- Pick a designated place outside to meet in event of an emergency
Fire Safety for Kids
Parents! Kids can download these apps for FREE from the Red Cross on their phone or tablet.
Red Cross also has a FREE exciting game your kids can download that teaches them about fire safety! Monster Guard is the “hot” game to teach kids about fire safety!
These are both excellent FREE resources to help kids get involved.
Create Your Own Adult Emergency Checklist
As parents, part of our job is to be prepared in the event of an emergency.
I was the mom who had an emergency kit and extra diapers in my car. Needed an extra juice or a snack? I had you covered!
Sadly, I had not taken the time to create my own emergency checklist and that cost me so much time in the long run.
When my husband was ill and the emergency room visits had grown more frequent, I can’t tell you how much time and money having a completed emergency checklist would have saved me.
When an emergency hits, your brain freezes and you can’t find your car keyes, let alone recall the details for an entire family!
The Takeaway
We were lucky. I was lucky. I have owned my house for 25 years and lived under the false premise we would be prepared if a fire happened.
Take some time while self-isolating due to COVID 19 and create your Fire Safety Plan and your Emergency Checklist!
To get started, sign up to my email listing to receive your FREE SUPER SIMPLE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST!
