Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
My wife called me around 4:30 yesterday telling my that our neighbors homes where on fire. When I got home last night around 7:00 I drove by it with all of my neighbors out of their homes still looking at the burnt twins. It really got me thinking that I need to start doing some fire drills with my family.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
That really sucks...hopefully no one was hurt. You can always replace material things, but losing a loved one is something different.
Hopefully your fire drills will include how to use fire extinguishers.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
Our neighbor house was on fire on new years day, cooking with a Sterno and pretty much lost everything. After seeing the blaze and the destruction it caused we updated the house with more smoke detectors, extinguishers on each floor and we also put in a escape ladder and stored it in the farthest bedroom and we all know how to use these and a plan to escape.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
Quote:
Originally Posted by
aubie515
That really sucks...hopefully no one was hurt. You can always replace material things, but losing a loved one is something different.
Hopefully your fire drills will include how to use fire extinguishers.
The only injury sustained was to the family pet who injured his leg jumping out a window that neighbors had broken out to facilitate his escape. He will be fine. Home fire drills are very important and sadly rarely done. Equally important is to have working smoke detectors in all bedrooms and at least one CO detector and smoke detector per level. Fire extinguishers are also very useful when located near areas of open flame or extreme heat i.e. kitchens laundry, garage.
Should you ever have a fire, the safest thing to do is get out and call 911. If you do choose to attempt to extinguish the fire yourself, still call 911 as without thermal imaging, you can't be certain you got it all. Remember, once outside a dwelling fire you must never go back in no matter what.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
I need to make some updates in my home with new CO detectors and I should get a ladder for escaping out my sons room. they got the home boarded up last night and tarped so it looks like it is going to be a while before these people get back into their homes.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lastdefender
The only injury sustained was to the family pet who injured his leg jumping out a window that neighbors had broken out to facilitate his escape. He will be fine. Home fire drills are very important and sadly rarely done. Equally important is to have working smoke detectors in all bedrooms and at least one CO detector and smoke detector per level. Fire extinguishers are also very useful when located near areas of open flame or extreme heat i.e. kitchens laundry, garage.
Should you ever have a fire, the safest thing to do is get out and call 911. If you do choose to attempt to extinguish the fire yourself, still call 911 as without thermal imaging, you can't be certain you got it all. Remember, once outside a dwelling fire you must never go back in no matter what.
Great advice.
I was a firefighter for 8 years, and I've seen some crazy stuff. Most people just don't understand how fast a small fire can spread. Your home can be fully involved in a matter of minutes. Thankfully I've never had to deal with a fatality, but I have had to do searches on several occasions because not everyone was accounted for. Scary stuff.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
To echo Agent Smith's post.... No material thing in your home is worth your life. Winding up in a burn ward is a high price to pay. If you've not been schooled in the proper use of a fire extinguisher (yes there is a proper way to use it). Contact your local Fire Marshal and inquire if training is available. Many of the Volunteer Fire Companies will offer training free of charge to interested citizens.
How old is your extinguisher? Household dry powder extinquishers tend to compress over the years and the powder becomes like a rock. When you need it you might just get a whoosh of compressed air and that's it. Have your extinguisher checked by a competent extinguisher service or replaced periodically.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loca...se-fire-1.html
Man injured in house fire
By: CHRISTOPHER RUVO
The Intelligencer
A Springfield man sustained first- and second-degree burns when he attempted to extinguish a fire that ignited in his home Friday morning, an official said.
Bruce Strock was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital after the 7:30 a.m. blaze. He remained in critical condition Friday evening, a hospital spokesperson said.
Indications are Strock, who is in his 60s, sustained burns to his hands, legs and face, said Springtown Fire Marshal Will Helm.
The fire originated from a wood-burning furnace and spread throughout a first-floor room at the home on the 3000 block of Church Street, which is in the Springtown section of Springfield, Helm said.
"We held it mostly to the furnace room on the first floor," Helm said. "There was some minor extension up to the second floor."
There was smoke damage throughout the home.
The heaviest water damage was in the furnace room.
Officials shut off power to the residence. Helm said the house will be habitable once power is restored.
Strock was the only person home when the fire broke out. Firefighters were on scene for more than two hours, Helm said.
Springtown, Riegelsville, Richlandtown and Haycock fire companies responded along with companies from Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Christopher Ruvo can be reached at 215-345-3147 or cruvo@phillyburbs.com.
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
this is a bit of a wake up call for me...I need a ladder for my daughters room and and some more fire extinguishers....any suggestions are something very good?
Re: Pretty bad fire last night in my neighborhood
The 2011 IRC (residental building codes) call for "new" single family homes to have sprinkler systems.