[Lou]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

Fires are very scary. In October of 2007 we had a house fire. It was contained to the back porch, BUT the smoke inside the house as incredible. The portion of the house that burned was vinyl siding and the heat was so intense that it melted windows in the house. House fires are scary. You can't depend upon the fire department getting there fast enough and/or seeing the window stickers. I will never ever lock my dogs up in a crate and leave them alone -- you just never know. Everyone thinks that they will never be a victim to a house fire -- until you are one. Our fire was a $100,000+ fire and it didn't even reach the inside of the house. The cleaning alone was over $30,000.

The fire started when my adult son was replacing a propane tank on a bbq grill on the back porch (SEE NOTE BELOW). The tank had a faulty valve and when Earl turned the grill on the tank caught on fire at the valve. I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that God sent Angels to protect Earl and my furkids that day. The insurance adjustor didn't know why the tank didn't explode, but it didn't.

Hubby and I were not at home -- as we headed up the curvy country road that leads to our house we saw the smoke and immediately I knew that our house was on fire..... what a horrid feeling.....

Earl immediately called 911 and fought the fire until the heat/flames got so intense that he knew it was hopeless. He managed to get all of the dogs (including a litter of pups) to safety, and move the cars out of the garage just as we pulled into the driveway. Hubby got the hose out and managed to control the fire in the tank just as the fire department arrived.

Had the fire department been 5 minutes later, the fire would have spread to the roof and we would have lost everything. Had Earl not gotten the dogs out as quickly as he did, there is no doubt in my mind that the toxic fumes from the burning vinyl, insulation, etc., would have been enough to poison them.

NOTE: NEVER EVER PUT A BBQ GRILL ON YOUR COVERED BACK PORCH!!!!! For two years I enjoyed the convenience of having my bbq grill close to the house..... but now I am afraid to even own one.

Your post has me in tears. Thank God all of you are safe and you didn't loose your house!