Have you ever wondered?

[Keely_momma]

Oh chattiesmom! Im so sorry this has happened to you! BUt i am also soooo happy nobody was hurt! It is a horrible thing to experiance (My mom experianced it.. twice).. Your post gave me goosebumps. (I am terrified of the thought of a fire and I am in tears right now)

I Still hate the idea of crating when not home. But i also hate the idea of her being out and hurting herself (Even though we have everything that is possible to dog proof, dog proofed) ..


to you and all your family

And to your son for getting himself and your furbabies out in time

[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!

[Lou]

I think about house fires every time we broil something in the oven. Skeeter is terrified of the odor coming from the oven and runs away to hide. One night I couldn't find him anywhere! After my third search though the house I finally found him hiding behind the toilet. He was so far back and so curled up you couldn't see him unless you bent down and leaned over a 1/2 wall. I had been in the bathroom twice and didn't spot him. I know that a firefighter would never find him in a dark smoky unfamiliar house. It is very scary! I have the stickers on all of my outside doors but I don't hold much hope for my youngest given his reaction.

[Deegan's mom]

I work for our local fire department (in the office), but alot of people around here have alarms on their homes which include a smoke alarm wired in. So if the sensors detect smoke, the alarm is signaled and the fire department tones go out. I know it's not much of a preventative, but at least the second the smoke is detected the boys are alarmed vs. waiting for the fire to build and have someone call 911. It's better than nothing. The only thing is is that we have alot of people who's alarms go off accidentally & we allow them 2 a year for free, but after that the homeowners are charged a fee so you have to make sure that your alarm company or you have made sure that it is in proper working order.
I guess you can't prepare for everything, but it may help.

[Yorkiekids]

You can get decals for your windows from the fire department that let the firemen know there are animals are in your house.

[mscat]

A few yrs. ago the back of our field caught on fire when kids were playing with fireworks. It becamse dangerously close to the apts. where I live, within a few feet.
That was very scary. I think i need to go and buy some stickers or signs too.

[Patti]

It is a scary thought. I have a sticker on my front door that I have 4 dogs. I also read somewhere that clothes dryers are a big cause of house fires so I never leave mine on when nit home.

[Deegan's mom]

Originally Posted by Patti

It is a scary thought. I have a sticker on my front door that I have 4 dogs. I also read somewhere that clothes dryers are a big cause of house fires so I never leave mine on when nit home.

Yes, dryers are a huge culprit if they aren't maintained... Never leave it on when you're not home & alway, always, always clean the lint trap after every load. Also clear the hose thing that connects from the dryer to the outside of the house as well about every 8 months or so.

[yavenay]

I have the aspca sticker too. It's right on my storm door. I have a cat and a dog. My fear would be losing my cat since she is free to roam the house. She would run and hide. My dog however is confined to one room when I am not here so he would be much easier to find not to mention she barks at all unfamiliar noises.

I also have an alarm system complete with fire detectors that are wire to a central station. The fire department would be here in 5 minutes. I already know this because my mom accidently burned something while cooking and set the alarms off. Having an alarm system helps a little too. It does give you a little more peice of mine. I have Guardian Protection and when the fire alarm goes off, they call the fire department first and then you.

[kiwistar94]

i found these on ebay they have all breeds also

Save My Yorkie Yorkshire Terrier Emergency Window Sign - eBay (item 260339697760 end time Jan-29-09 15:16:37 PST)

[LaurenThig]

I can't believe I just found this thread. I've been telling my husband and anybody else who would listen lately that since Lily is crated during the day, I literally leave the house every time worried about the house catching on fire. THANKS so much for the links for the stickers. I'm hoping this will put my mind at ease.

I've thought about starting to leave her uncrated as she gets older for this reason... until a friend told me that she thinks it would be better to have her crated if there was a fire. At least some neighbors would hopefully know she was in the house and she would be easy to find... as compared to her running away and hiding if the house was on fire.

Thanks again... this means so much.

[Nancy1999]

I worry about this all the time. My parents had a house fire and our dog died due to smoke inhalation; the fire doesn't have to be that bad to cause this.