Makes you think....

[anlauto]

I witnessed this yesterday afternoon....it was about 2-300 yards from my house. NO ONE WAS HURT  . Apparently the son was home alone working on his motorbike in the garage...

House is a total loss    My wife, my kids....we're in total disbelief, just take a look around your home and imagine everything gone and you're left with only the clothes on your back....I guess living here in this area of Canada, this is our Category 5 Hurricane   

[70 Challenger Lover]

Here in So. Cal. we get the yearly wildfire situation and some years, many homes burn. I always feel bad for them. The difference though is those folks know the fires are coming and can evacuate along with some of their most important irreplaceable stuff like photos or jewelry. The poor family in your neighborhood didn't even get that.

[dodj]

Watched one of my neighbour's house burn down a couple years ago. Sure is a strange thing to see. The firemen said when a house is lit up like this we are just trying to stop it from spreading. There will be nothing left inside. Like you, it made us think about what if our house burned to the foundation.
Hope those guys had appropriate insurance.

[Brads70]

So sad. This is why I don't like ( well one of the reasons) subdivisions, especially high density types. Bad enough opening your bathroom window to clean out your neighbors eves troughs but when something goes wrong like this its pretty easy to share the grief/loss .....

[js27]

Very Sad and Yes I know the feeling of waking up and only having the clothes on your back. Two summers ago my mother in laws house was struck buy lightning. Twice at the same time. The fire chief said one bolt in each corner of the roof. Fire dept was there in 12 minutes but the house was a total loss. Both of them are in their late 80's and had there lifetime of memories all burn up. Insurance paid for a new house and filled it with new stuff and both of them got out unscathed which is what counts.
JS27

[72 Challenger]

I recently watched a house burn down about 10 houses down from mine. It's such an odd thing. The size of the fire, the heat, the sound it really brings home the power of fire. It amazed me how even the gentle breeze we had that day spread the fire through the house in a few minutes. I remember distinctly feeling bad watching it in amazement while the owners were literally watching their lives disappear. I am really not attached to things so I could easily replace my stuff but not everyone is like me. My wife would be devastated because of her emotional attachment to the contents of our house.

[Cudajason]

that is very sad. 

I think I will go out and buy some fire extinguishers for the garage before I do any more work in there!

Jason

[BIGSHCLUNK]

A sad senario indeed. And even with insurance, there are keepsakes an memories money will not replace. Sux 

[anlauto]

That's what gets me is just the tremendous loss of personal stuff...Even just sitting here in my office looking around....there's stuff here I've had for 35+ years....you just don't replace that kind of stuff...granted, life is more important then "stuff" and it likely has no value to anybody else....but it's "yours" and it's always been   What a shame

[Plumcrazy72]

Terrible to see, being that fire fighting is part of my career I feel for people all the time. House fires, people loosing their income from fires like barns and shops, car accidents etc. never fun and the power of fire is like nothing else.

Fire extinguisher are very helpful in that first few mins of a fire. More importantly, all do yourself a favour and check to make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working and actually mounted properly not laying in your dresser drawer or shoved in a closet. Safety is first, and it sure is alot better for us arriving on scene knowing everyone is out of the house and safe. 

[7E-Bodies]

Been there. Done this. Total loss fire. Clothes on your back is right. Psychologically it will mess you up.

[YellowThumper]

Cannot fathome losing all. Only contemplate what might have been. 2 years ago we had this right behind my house. Palm tree burning like a Roman candle shooting embers everywhere. Damaged portions of my roof. Burned thru several yard shade umbrellas. Embers even burned thru two car covers I have on a Falcon project in the front of my house. Got lucky and paint was not damaged.


I feel bad for them for their belongings. Glad no one was injured.

[bcbassfishing]

one of my biggest fears... My shop has like 6 fire extingishers just in case something happens...Insurance is great in all but couldn't even think about loosing all my taxidermy if my house burnt down.  Feel for your neighbours lose man!

[71-440]

That sucks. Can't imagine what their going thru right now.

That's why I have Fire extinguishers in the garage, laundry room and Kitchen.

[72 Challenger]

This made me think of my fire extinguisher in the garage. It's not old ~7 ish years.


As it lives in a non temperature controlled environment, it does go through the terrible summer heat and cold of Canadian winters. Does that shorten the life of a fire extinguisher?