Fire

I was going to post all kinds of cutesy little updates. Like my FO shawl from Fruitcake knits.

Instead, I'm posting about a fire. Yesterday. In our building. Directly below our apartment.

We're all safe.

The apartment is trashed.  Uninhabitable.

It happened in an instant.  The buzzer. My "Who is it?"  They "Fire in the building !" 

By the time I got to the front room it was filling up with smoke. The kids were running out.  They got on their closest shoes, which were too small. No time to buckle them. They were hysterical about the cats being left behind.  Everything was smoky. We got out.

We got out to watch billowing clouds of dense green gray smoke obscuring our window. Pouring up in great puffy shapes. The same sickening green that I remembered from when I was a kid looking at the sky when there was a tornado watch. Watched the firemen break out our windows, and even more smoke come rushing out.  It was a 2 alarm fire.  15 firetrucks.

What could have been is unbelievably frightening. The hardware store had 30 containers of kerosene stored in the basement that no one knew about.  It didn't happen at night, when we would never have woken up with the amount of smoke that suddenly poured in.

The cats are ok. Hiding. Wheezing. Traumatized. But alive.  The kids are watching Cars with their dad. A good distraction.

It'll probably be months till we can live there again. All the windows are broken, soot covering everything, broken glass everywhere, and a hole in our living room ceiling. Blackened baseboards and moldings. Have no idea if there's structural damage under our floor. Insurance adjuster comes Monday.

But they didn't wreck my wheel. And I ran out with my laptop. Most of my wool is in plastic storage bins or bags, though not all of it. And we were here not in France.

We were so lucky.  So. Lucky.

I can't wait to stop smelling like smoky charcoal.  And trembling.

Comments

[Publicado por: JoAnne]

I am so glad that you and your loved ones are all safe...you are fortunate to have the ability to look at what did happen and review it through the lens of what might have been...but then, I don't think I'd have expected differently, off what I 'know' through the blog. I found you about a year ago through - I think - The Scottish Lamb and have read you randomly since, but I don't believe I've ever commented.

Out of curiosity, who is doing the cleaning for you?

[Publicado por: caroline]

I'm so sorry about the fire, Nilda. Glad you all are safe, sound, and regrouping. May life settle down soon. big hug.

[Publicado por: Gail & Fog]

Dear Nilida

I am shocked to read about the tterrible fire in your apartment. That God you escaped with your lives and no injuries!! Fire is my worst nightmare. I think that firemen are our Great American Heros. What kind of person is willing to run into a building in flames to save total strangers. God bless the FDNY!

[Publicado por: Mia]

I am surprised that your smoke alarms weren't going off.An unfortunate fact about hardware stores is that as fire fighters, we never know what they have stored in their back rooms and basements. And incase it wasn't explained to you, the reason for the windows being taken out is that is how we vent a fire. We want to have the bad stuff (smoke) going out and this helps us, as fire fighters, see better. And the hole in your floor is that they were checking for extension. And there are companies that specialize in cleaning up after a fire. The smoke damage is the worst part of a fire. And be willing to fight with your insurance company to make sure that they replace all of the wood if there was any charring.

[Publicado por: Liz]

Oh my goodness! I just stumble upon your great blog and here you are going through this awful trauma! I'm so sorry for everything. I hope things return to something like normalcy soon.

[Publicado por: Danni]

I can't imagine how frightend you must have been, thanks god that everyone is okay! Hopefully you can get back home pretty soon. I found you blog surfing the web and was attract by the name of your blog.. and than while reading, I noticed that, we have a comon friend..Betty.
By the way, I just loved the wool you used for Koigu blanket, lovely colours!

[Publicado por: janet]

So relieved that you are all safe. As I read your account I thought I was having a flashback. I thought you must be writing about the previous fire. How awful.

[Publicado por: betty]

Nilda! Que horror! Suerte que estáis todos bien! Espero que no se haya perdido nada importante, pero lo más importante, que sois vosotros, estáis bien! Menos mal! Y dónde os quedaréis hasta que podáis recuperar el apartamento??

Muchos ánimos, y espero que podáis solucionarlo todo pronto. Un abrazo enorme.

[Publicado por: sandy]

Oh my god. Thank goodness you and your family are okay. I am so sorry this happened to you. Please know that my wishes and good thoughts go with you.