I was just re reading my blog postings from fire day on...Yes, I know, depressing, crying, sad, horrifying...but enlightening. I realized there are a lot of little details missing. So, I am going to start at part 1...More for myself...to help me remember, so I dont forget the little details...So as we heal, I will always remember one of the darkest days of my, of our lives.
Lets start on July 18, 9pm. It was a very hot night..I was very cranky and felt cruddy since mother nature decided to give me my little gift. Yippee!
I was sitting under the newly obtained and modified candle chandelier I had purchased for $5.00 at a thrift store. (sshhhhh...dont tell my insurance company I only paid $5 bucks for it) (KIDDING). I had been knitting, of course, but it was HOT! The kids had begged and begged me for a fire that night, but I said no. Get this...I distinctly remember telling that it was to hot and to dangerous. We had not had rain in such a long time, that it would be to dangerous to have one. If an ember from the fire put floated up and landed somewhere that we didn't notice, we could...wait for it....BURN DOWN SOMEONES HOUSE! Yes, that's right...I actually told the kids that.
I remember sitting out back under my beautiful pergola waiting for my candles to burn themselves out. They were nubs anyway. So once they were out and yes, I checked them, and no there were none other lit, oh wait, yes there were. I had to in modified hanging lights, now turned into standing lights over by the walkway. I blew those out too. I can prove it, it was the other side of the house that caught fire!
I went in after giving C1 permission to stay up all night. We were getting up at 3am because he was to catch a 4am bus heading to Boundry Waters. I figured, why should he sleep. I, however, went to bed. C1 was quite mad at himself for going to bed. He was going to stay up till 3 but was to tired. He said, if only he had stayed awake, he might have seen it earlier than it was caught...saved the house...etc etc..
I set the alarm on my phone, cause I didn't own an alarm clock any more for 3am. And I always keep my phone on my night stand. See, we only have one phone in our house. Its attached to the wall in the kitchen. I figure that if someone ever tries to break in, (yeah right, in this neighborhood?) I can call 911. Course, my dogs would eat them first but oh well. And cause I need to check FB before I go to bed and its the first thing I check when I wake up :)
So. Hubby and I are woken up by the loudest pounding I've ever heard in my life. Have you ever been trapped in road construction where the giant machine is pounding giant poles into the ground? It was like that, but louder. Hubby ran out of bed and I grabbed my phone. Honest, it was only to look at the time. the time was 1:10am. In my sleepy mind, I thought we had overslept and that this was someone from the bus looking for us.
I dont hear anyone but my hubby now...I hear him ask very very quizzically, my house is on fire? I didn't even hear the dogs barking. they had to be right? they bark at a leaf flying by. Hubby said something else, but neither him nor I remember what.
I fly out of bed, no phone or glasses. I run to C2's room. Open the door and while holding on the door handle start screaming, 'GET UP GET UP GET UP, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, RUN RUN RUN. ' C2 later asked me why I didn't come into her room to wake her up. I told her that I didn't know what was on fire. I didn't know if I had the time to walk the three steps into her room to wake her or not. there was no smell of smoke inside the house at this time, no obvious signs of fire. No sounds, no smell, we had power. Heck these boys could have been high or something (BWAHAHAHAH) and been pulling our legs, except for what ever my husband said after he opened the door.
I remember, beating on C2's door, screaming, thinking this a nightmare...this is not real..this is not happening..I am not telling my children to run because the house is on fire...this is a joke...
Then I ran to the boys room where I did the same thing. I saw C1 sit up..he's in the top bunk. So C2 was up and C1 was up. I ran back to my room, grabbed my glasses and phone and ran back to the boys room. See c3 sleeps like the dead. I only know that I ran back and grabbed my glasses and phone...
**I find out two days later...my neighbor behind me, Mr Bill, had been tossing and turning in his sleep because it was to bright in his bedroom. He thought we had left the outside spots on. Finally, he gets up and looks out the window to see our house on fire. He calls my cell, I didn't even know he had my cell number, and that is the exact time I ran back to get it. When I picked it up I must have answered it. He starts screaming, get out of the house...hears me yelling run run run. He knows we are safe, he hangs up calls 911, they say its been reported. The, Mr. Bill, a retired insurance recovery specialist, takes pictures of my house on fire! AWESOME!
I actually dont remember doing it. I dont remember seeing the kids run past me, I dont remember putting shoes on, I dont remember anything until I get downstairs.
I know they are out, I would have never left the 2nd floor if there were not...did I actually double check? Did I see them? Did I hear them? I have no idea.
I did find out later that C1 who shares a room with C3 actually lept out of the top bunk and woke up C3. C3 told me that C1 grabbed him and didn't yell or scream, but stated loudly, 'dude we gotta run, the house is on fire'. C3 then apologized as he reported to me that he said 'holy shit'. I told C3 that if there was ever an appropriate time to say that, it was then.
So, I get downstairs, I'm at the bottom of the stairs, I dont remember actually looking out the back door. I wonder if I stood there and stared, or did I just glance as I ran past? I have no idea.
I get to the bottom of the stairs, I see the grass on fire..not on fire but on FIRE. Big difference. I see a wall of fire, but I dont smell smoke, I dont see smoke. I dont feel heat. I HEAR the fire. I hear a pop and sizzle and something else but I dont know what. Isn't it funny, that after a month and a half I can still remember it like it was yesterday.
I turn to go to the front door...its only about three steps from the stairs. Now, we've all talked about what we would save if there was a house fire. Family albums, wedding picture, grandmas silver...we hubby and I always joked about a newspaper I have. Its professionally framed hanging right there between the stairs and the door. Its an authentic New York Post, April 15, 1865 reporting the assassination of Lincoln. Get this...as I was running towards the door, I actually thought to myself, I should grab that, it would be funny! Honest, I did...then I thought, no that would be in bad taste. How odd..how did I have such a long conversation with myself in a nano second?
I get to the door, its crowded but I dont know why at the time. Big dog, cooper is there, I throw him out...smaller dog(ha, 80lbs) Molly panics and runs back inside..now I remember why its crowded..one of the boys who saved out lives, is behind me...grabs her and runs her past me outside.
I stop at the doorway..I now know that the outside of the house is on fire, the back...I think, if its safe, I should grab car keys to get the cars out of the driveway...They keys are in the kitchen about 7 steps away...(I have short legs). Kitchen lights are on, I can find them easy. I turn to go grab them, I look up kinda towards my dining room table? and see waves of white smoke pouring in. It looked like a cloud? like cotton candy. I'm pretty sure it was white though. I wonder why it wasn't black..but it was white? I think? It didn't rush in, it just kind of wafted in. I could have grabbed my car keys, I could see, it was not a lot of smoke, but, smartly, I said no way...and ran outside......
Enough for now...probably wont be able to sleep tonight now....and this is long enough....
another day...Part 2...the scene from across the street
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