Fire!

twstychik

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I was always in the "it will never happen to us" school when it came to fires and other major catastrophes. Well, I was re-educated one week ago today. Long story short, I was on the couch about to take a nap with my 7 week old son when I smelled something burning. The laundry dryer was on fire! I called 911 stuffed Frankie in her carrier grabbed my son and ran out. Unfortunately Wickett had gone into hiding and I couldn't find him. The fire department was there in minutes and fortunately the fire was contained to the laundry room. DH found Wickett later under the couch a little smelly and VERY scared but otherwise fine. We are now living in the unit next door and one day at a time trying to put our life back together. We lost a lot to smoke damage but it always could have been worse.

I'll probably be scarce until things get back to normal. I'm just glad I still have a little more than a week of maternity leave so I'm not losing any pay while I put things back together in our new place.
 

GoldyCat

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How frightening, especially with new baby in the house!
On the other hand, at least you were home to call 911 so the fire didn't get completely out of control. My girls say to give Wickett
from them---after he's had a bath!.
 

snosrap5

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Oh Meaghan. I'm so glad everyone is ok.
We lost our home to fire 10 years ago and I will never forgot the feelings we experienced than either.
 

jcat

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OMG, Meaghan, that's really scary, but thank goodness you're all okay. It's an experience you never quite get over. We had a fire twenty years ago, and I still remember how totally helpless I felt. I'm still a touch paranoid about fires.
 

ldg

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Meaghan, that is so frightening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, thank goodness you are all OK - even Wickett. ...Or rather - especially Wickett because of the hiding!


I hope you didn't lose any irreplaceable things to smoke damage.




Laurie
 

rosiemac

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Meaghan thank goodness your all ok!.

I used to put my machine on if i went to work or when i went shopping, but then someone at work had their machine catch fire. Luckily like you they were in, but after that i stopped leaving the machine running on it's own


I hope you get things back to normal soon
 

mrblanche

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No telling for sure what the cause was from your post, but the likeliest scenario was fuzz caught in the vent.

Folks, this is a big problem, and one we need to take action to solve.

When I got ready to buy a new dryer last year, I thoroughly cleaned out our vent and old dryer. You would be amazed at how much lint I got out of it. I used a dryer-vent-cleaning brush, available at Lowes (and probably lots of other places), and air pressure from my compressor (I know not everyone will have that available). I got a small trash basket full of lint out of the vent and dryer.


http://homerepair.about.com/od/heati...vent_clean.htm

Dryer Vent Cleaning Brush
 

yosemite

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Thank goodness you are all safe. I won't even use the pre-timer on my stove. I know folks who will set their oven to come on before they get home - not this girl.

I have a friend who also had a fire in her dryer. She had always had a clothesline and didn't read her instructions when she got her first dryer. She didn't know she had to clean out the lint trap between loads.
 

GoldyCat

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When I got a new washer & dryer a couple of years ago I was very happy to see that the lint trap is right in front. You can't miss it every time you open the door.
See? It's right here, Mom.
 

mbjerkness

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Thankfully everyone is alright. I also had a dryer fire, the element had broken and caught on fire. I was in a mobile home. The dryer was in the bathroom. I was having a bath when it happened. Luckily Jim was home. He unplugged the dryer and threw it out the back door. I was trapped, my baby asleep in the next room. If Jim hadn't been home it would have been disastrous.
 

pami

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There also use to be a lot of fires from the plastic dryer ducts instead of metal ones.

Meaghan I cannot imagine the terror and fear you guys experienced with your baby boy and your baby cats. Sending so many vibes that way
 

natalie_ca

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OMG! So glad that you are ok!!!!

Things can be replaced, but people and pets can't!


My brother had a fire in his house last year in June.It wasn't dryer related, but it did start in the laundry room from an overheated extension cord. Like you, most of the damage of smoke related and confined to the laundry room. When I found out how much damage smoke can do, I was aghast! They had to gut their entire house from walls to insulation to wiring and plumbing. Every single food item in the house from canned to frozen had to be thrown out!

Your post reminded me that I still haven't purchased apartment insurance. I had to let it lapse when I was off work, and during that time there were 2 fires in my building that luckily didn't affect me. But it's not something you think about everyday and thus I haven't purchased any. I'm going right after work tomorrow to buy some


You must have been beside yourself when Wickett hid! When I had to evacuate I missed getting Abby into the carrier on the first try and she went and hid. There was nothing I could do but leave her and hope for the best. I did tell the fire fighters that she was still in the apartment and they said that if it came down to it, they would go in and get her. They did go in a few times and came out to the ambulance where I was being treated for smoke inhalation, to let me know that my apartment was fine and that Abby was ok. She was sitting on the freezer near the door hissing, whenever one of them went in and checked on her.

So far as insurance goes! They will try and walk all over you. I know they tried with my brother. Don't be afraid to stand up to them and get a lawyer involved in necessary. Insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay out claims and they will do whatever they can to avoid paying for things, especially expensive things.

 

zorana_dragonky

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Wow, how scary! I'm so glad you are safe! I had no idea that dryer fires were so common, or how lint built up in the ducting behind dryers. It makes me want to be so much more careful! I always empty the lint trap in the front after every load, but I have never cleaned out back behind my dryer... Now I want to. Again, so glad you are all safe! Many
.
 

crazyforinfo

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OMG that is a horrible feeling. The other week I smelled fire but it must have been a neighbor. I went into panic mode cause I was alone, no car(don't drive) and with 7 cats and our son. My neighbor is a firefighter and just got home from the store. I almost asked him to figure out what the smell was but it was gone by then.

A co-worker wasn't as lucky as you. The family wasn't hurt but they lost so much in the fire from smoke damage. Since then I don't run the dryer unless I am on the same floor. I check in on it several times. Our machine is from the 90's but still kicking.

I am glad everyone is safe. You can definitely replace stuff but not people.
 

esrgirl

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That reminds me that I need to call to have our dryer vent cleaned out! Very scary, I'm glad you got out ok.
 
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twstychik

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

No telling for sure what the cause was from your post, but the likeliest scenario was fuzz caught in the vent.

Folks, this is a big problem, and one we need to take action to solve.

When I got ready to buy a new dryer last year, I thoroughly cleaned out our vent and old dryer. You would be amazed at how much lint I got out of it. I used a dryer-vent-cleaning brush, available at Lowes (and probably lots of other places), and air pressure from my compressor (I know not everyone will have that available). I got a small trash basket full of lint out of the vent and dryer.


http://homerepair.about.com/od/heati...vent_clean.htm

Dryer Vent Cleaning Brush
Thats exactly what it was Mike. I always clean the trap between loads but that doesn't account for the fuz that gets past the trap and caught some where else down the line. It also didn't help that 3" into the wall the vent goes straight up 2 stories.

I started doing laundry (to rhelp our insurance payout) and turning that dryer on for the first time was unsettling. I stood there for a good 5 minutes checking it all over before I started it.

Originally Posted by mbjerkness

Thankfully everyone is alright. I also had a dryer fire, the element had broken and caught on fire. I was in a mobile home. The dryer was in the bathroom. I was having a bath when it happened. Luckily Jim was home. He unplugged the dryer and threw it out the back door. I was trapped, my baby asleep in the next room. If Jim hadn't been home it would have been disastrous.
That's scary! I was fortunately by the front door and so was DS so we had an easy escape.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

OMG! So glad that you are ok!!!!

Things can be replaced, but people and pets can't!


My brother had a fire in his house last year in June.It wasn't dryer related, but it did start in the laundry room from an overheated extension cord. Like you, most of the damage of smoke related and confined to the laundry room. When I found out how much damage smoke can do, I was aghast! They had to gut their entire house from walls to insulation to wiring and plumbing. Every single food item in the house from canned to frozen had to be thrown out!

Your post reminded me that I still haven't purchased apartment insurance. I had to let it lapse when I was off work, and during that time there were 2 fires in my building that luckily didn't affect me. But it's not something you think about everyday and thus I haven't purchased any. I'm going right after work tomorrow to buy some


You must have been beside yourself when Wickett hid! When I had to evacuate I missed getting Abby into the carrier on the first try and she went and hid. There was nothing I could do but leave her and hope for the best. I did tell the fire fighters that she was still in the apartment and they said that if it came down to it, they would go in and get her. They did go in a few times and came out to the ambulance where I was being treated for smoke inhalation, to let me know that my apartment was fine and that Abby was ok. She was sitting on the freezer near the door hissing, whenever one of them went in and checked on her.

So far as insurance goes! They will try and walk all over you. I know they tried with my brother. Don't be afraid to stand up to them and get a lawyer involved in necessary. Insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay out claims and they will do whatever they can to avoid paying for things, especially expensive things.

We're ready to argue with the insurance company. The adjuster said last friday that he's send a check for 1,000 to get us started. It never came... he "forgot".
fortunately DH and I have a substantial savings account for emergences.

Originally Posted by esrgirl

That reminds me that I need to call to have our dryer vent cleaned out! Very scary, I'm glad you got out ok.
We live in an apartment and the head of maint. has been a saint. He's the only person who talked to me while I sat sobbing in the back of my van with one cat and my son sleeping in my arms! He told me to call any time to have the dryer cleaned out and suggested about every 3 months.

Oh, and I may be off for awhile. My laptop battery is dying and I have NO idea where my power supply is.
 

GoldyCat

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Originally Posted by twstychik

We're ready to argue with the insurance company. The adjuster said last friday that he's send a check for 1,000 to get us started. It never came... he "forgot".
fortunately DH and I have a substantial savings account for emergences.
Just make sure that when you do get a check that it doesn't say on it that you are accepting the amount as full payment. If it does, DON'T CASH IT! Insurance companies really will do almost anything to get out of paying.
 
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twstychik

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Originally Posted by GoldyCat

Just make sure that when you do get a check that it doesn't say on it that you are accepting the amount as full payment. If it does, DON'T CASH IT! Insurance companies really will do almost anything to get out of paying.
Thanks for the heads up on that. I'm hoping it will be in todays mail.
 
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