| Author | Message | ||
     Nillaice |
                               i never thought it would happen in my house, but it could happen in anyone's. the stove was turned on to boil a pot of water but the wrong burner was selected. my wife was waiting for the water to boil and went to do another task. some time later i got out of the shower and got a sneaking suspicion as i was drying off. much to my surprise, teh stovetop was a balze. i tossed my damp towel on the pan (there was some grease in it from browning ground beef earlier for dinner) and went to the hall cabinet for more towels. got the kids out of bed, scored some pants and onto the front lawn and called the fire dept. i used my neighbors fire extinguisher (my house is now full of smoke down to 3 feet off the floor) and with a deep inhale of fresh air; went back in to make sure the job was done. and i'm sure gald that i did cuz in my haste, i had left the burner on. i emptied the bottle and turned off the burner knob. and came back out for more air, keeping an eye on the smoldering mass thru the front window. fire dept scooped up the remnants off the stove top and were kind enough to let me overhaul and hose it down, but with my hose, not thiers... everyone is okay. my voice is a little bit hoarse from yelling. the smoke inhalation didnnt help it any ... (Message edited by nillaice on August 28, 2010) | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
Glad everyone is ok! Wow, that must have been scary! You do realize that your story sounds like you did everything naked.  | ||
| Froggy |
Wow! Thank god the damage looks minimal, that could of been disastrous!
I thought the exact same thing! | ||
| Oldog |
you got me wanting to get an extinguisher I am so glad you got out largely unharmed! thanks for the heads up, I am bad for start the stove and do something else no more..... thanks for sharing I hope that all returns to normal soon | ||
| Fahren |
Very glad everyone is safe and unharmed. There is a long list of safe things to do for one's home and family, and having a good fire extinguisher in the kitchen area is one. Having an agreed meeting place outside the home is another ("In an emergency, everyone meet at the Miller's oak tree next door"). Lots of others. | ||
| X1inaus |
Also a good investment is a Fire Blanket for cooking mishaps.. If it is an oil fire, don't use water to extinguish it.. Here is a mythbusters link to view : from the 2:20 mark : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwUTdZj6r40 | ||
| Kyrocket |
Glad everyone is alright, and yes we do have an extinguisher. In the kitchen, no less. Once my kids are older I plan on teaching everyone of them how to use one and getting one for their bedrooms. I also have one in the garage. Is it bad enough to turn in to insurance? | ||
| Aptbldr |
Inexpensive semi-automatic stove top fire extinguisher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KluI6TQj10Q&feature =player_embedded | ||
| Gunut75 |
Glad nobody was hurt. Were you firefighting naked?  | ||
| Britchri10 |
Glad you're OK & that everyone is safe & unharmed. I have 2 extinguishers. One in the kitchen & one in the garage. They are the ABC (Universal) type. Also important are working smoke alarms + practice drills for all the family. Again, glad you are all OK Chris C | ||
| Nevrenuf |
good to see no one got hurt. been there done that when the son wanted to make donuts when he was younger. luckily not as bad. | ||
| Nillaice |
yes i was naked for a bit. up until i scored a pair of pants on the way out from getting the kids. priorities i'd say it's not worth filing a claim. house detuctible is a thousand. alot of soot on the ceilings. the range hood is getting be replaced. the cabinets can be sanded and re-finished. the stove top might need a fresh coat of applinace enamel-white, but it might not. ... that enamel paint is pretty tough stuff. dare i say it's 'fire-proof' and obviously the frying pan will be retired from service.
exactly what i was trying to do. this thread is a success | ||
| Spiderman |
I can't fathom that anyone would not have one. I have two. One in the kitchen and the other in TV room where the fireplace is. I need to get one for the basement for the area by the water heater, furnace and dryer. | ||
| Sifo |
Glad everyone's OK. That soot has a way of getting all over the house, especially on ceilings. When you go to repaint it will bleed right through the new paint unless you prime with an oil based primer (not much fun to work with). Consider paying the insurance deductible. You will probably get all new cabinets, professionals to do the paint work, possibly through much of the house, new stove, etc. I know of a similar fire where they had a towel catch fire on the stove and they beat it out cold. Later that night it flamed up when they were all in bed. An ember had landed in a dried flower arrangement and smoldered for hours. They were pretty much saved by their barking dog. I've got an extinguisher in the cabinet next to the stove and a big one in the stairs going to the basement. I bet that got your adrenaline going! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Good reminder! Glad everyone is OK. I have an extinguisher in the garage, but its OOOOOOLLLLLDDDDDD. I should pony up for a new one. (Now where is my blink font extinguisher!  ) | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Matt, Don't hesitate to call your insurance guy. You have WAY over $1000 worth of damage. Really glad to hear everyone was safe. You experienced first hand that it's not the heat/fire that kills you, its the smoke. Yes I have extinguishers in our house, all commercial grade. 2 big ones in the garage and one in the house. I'm gonna get another one for the house.... As mentioned above you have smoke damage. All your ducts need to be cleaned, your cabinets will smell forever, no way to get the stink out. Same goes for some parts of your ceiling. All your clothing should probably be washed as well. Furniture elsewhere in the house will suck up smoke smell like a sponge. One of my best friends is a remodeling contractor, he recently did a major fire job (2 in fact). He says that the fire smell is almost impossible to get out. He uses special sealer paint to seal any wood that was exposed to smoke. ALL sheet rock is removed and replaced in the fire area. Call your insurance adjuster ASAP, this is why you pay for insurance. Brad | ||
| Geforce |
I carry one in my truck and car also. Both of them have tanks of alcohol/methanol that are injected into the engine via large amounts of boost. Glad that everyone is ok! Kitchen fires can be nasty. | ||
| Pammy |
We used copious amounts of TSP and odorban. I looked like a bandit, as every morning I came through the shop with a spray bottle in each hand. Got rid of the smell quickly. Was there a smoke detector? You cant make fajitas in my house without setting the dang thing off. Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are a must in any home (or shop). I need to check some batteries. Good job on having your priorities in order. I'm glad to hear that no one was hurt. Here, the smoke and fire caused things to rust as well. I would call the insurance company also. | ||
| Pammy |
Good thing that the fire didn't get to the liquor. That stuff is flammable you know. You might want to store it elsewhere. ;o) Baking soda is great for grease fires especially. I always have baking soda in the kitchen. | ||
| Nillaice |
i'll call a couple contractors, and see what they think. i know thier opinion will be biased towards Yes, you should get this kitchen remodeled, and i'll bid on the job right now really i just need an knowledgeable person to asses the damage. i'd think that telling my insurance about how i set my house on fire (even if i don't file the claim) would get me on their 'exclusive' list. and by exclusive i mean liability | ||
| Sifo |
I don't have personal insider experience with homeowners insurance companies, but from my agent (before he retired) also a friend for over 35 years, when I was asking about this said that HO insurance isn't like auto insurance where a claim tends to put you into a high risk category. Of course my claim dealt with storm damage. Honestly, what was the high risk behavior? Cooking? Stove fires happen. As HO insurance claims go yours will still be a fairly small claim. Smoke damage can be a bitch. As mentioned, cloths, furniture, drapes & blinds, carpet & rugs, mattresses, etc. You think you have things cleaned up then realize the smoke smell just hasn't quite gone away. Just the painting that is required will be worth the 1K deductible. It's commendable to try to be responsible for yourself, but this is why you pay for insurance in the first place. Can you even live in the house right now? Insurance might cover that while things are put back to normal too. | ||
| Goody |
Daaaaaaaamn Nilla, sorry to hear that but I'm thankful everyone is ok. | ||
| Rah7777777 |
Wow! Man I'm sorry to see that! But I'm glad everyone is okay. This is exactly why I have a few extinguishers spread around the house. Wife thinks I over do it.... But you just never know! I hope your repairs go smoothly!! | ||
| Froggy |
If there is anything the Badweb community can do to help, feel free to ask! | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
If it is an oil fire, don't use water to extinguish it.. This is very important. It will make the fire go everywhere! A friends wife did that and nearly burned down the house. I have fire extinguishers in the kitchen, a big one in the front and small in the back of the garage. I may get another for upstairs. They are super cheap these days and same for smoke detectors. You can get them for like $10.00 or 20 bucks! Not to rant but it's not just your house, but your family too. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
Nilla, sorry I got on my rant, I hope everything comes out ok. If you need anything let us know. Also I hope you know by posting this everybody who reads it (I hope) will make sure they have an extinguisher | ||
| Ratbuell |
For those who DO have an extinguisher...make a note of the replacement date on it. In an obvious place. I have a P-Touch label machine. My kitchen extinguisher has a HUGE "DECEMBER 2011" label on it (and it hangs right by the kitchen light switch - NO sense hiding it, given its purpose). Glad nobody is hurt, and the damage was as limited as it is. But having been down a similar road in March (massive flooding from a monsoon)....call the insurance. I hated to do it, but there is a lot below the surface that a fire abatement company can take care of. Smoke damage, smoke-stink, refinishing the cabinetry...let insurance stroke a check, and all you have to do is sit for a couple days until it's time to enjoy your newly cleaned/replaced stuff. It killed me to have folks in my house dealing with my flood...but in retrospect, it's done, done right, and if I had tried to do it myself I'd still be messing with it. | ||
| Ourdee |
Two in the jeep and one in the grill. I should pop for a few more. I have smoke detectors every where, even up on the duct work in the basement. I had a battery go bad in one that I could not remember where I put it and had to search for the beep for hours. Even have a carbon monoxide detector hooked up, almost lost my family to a faulty furnace in my last house. I came home and got them all out and woke up. Glad to hear you're all OK. | ||
| Brumbear |
yeah I got em here to glad everything is OK fire sucks!!!!!!! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I just check the tabs and pressure gauges on all the ones in the house, and the smoke alarmm batteries, and a function test of the alarm system. Glad to see y'all came out of it ok, good to know the blaze didnt get to the booze on top of the fridge ! I now have a new location for the mini shot, right next to the coffee maker. |
