House fire: New update 8/15 in first post

[sassenach]

So, so sorry. 

 

You might consider asking a friend to double check dealings with the insurance company. Another set of non-exhausted eyes on the proceedings might be a good protection. I hope they do you right and you don't have to fight for anything!

 

 

[Baseball mom]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Barb_]

We are doing better today.  More answers than questions rather than the other way around.  There's a quick updatd in the first post.

[Spryte]

You are handling this so well, and so calmly. Hang in there. I can't imagine everything you're processing right now.

 

You've been in my thoughts all day.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

OMG, the what-ifs in your story are making me cry just to read it. Thank goodness she was able to smell the smoke from inside the shower. Thank goodness her BF was with her. Thank goodness they were able to get out easily. OMG. We'll be having some talks here this week--it's been awhile since we discussed this issue.

 

 

I talked to the oldest girl today and she told me that she'd spoken to the fire marshal after the original speculation regarding the solvents.  Upon further examination, he believes it was actually the methane from the rotted meat that ignited.

 

That is just crazy. 

 

I'm glad that some pieces of this are falling into place. I'll be thinking about all of you. 

[Barb_]

You are handling this so well, and so calmly. Hang in there. I can't imagine everything you're processing right now.

 

You've been in my thoughts all day.

Thank you for saying so. In reality I have stretches of calm punctuated by panicked little crying jags--usually around 3am. Lol, I almost hopped on this morning at 3:30 to see who else had insomnia.

 

The woulda, shoulda, couldas are making me a little crazy. One part of me knows everyone does this and it's normal and I shouldn't torment myself, but another part of me doesn't seem to care and wakes me up at 3am anyway.

[Amira]

Thank you for saying so. In reality I have stretches of calm punctuated by panicked little crying jags--usually around 3am. Lol, I almost hopped on this morning at 3:30 to see who else had insomnia.

 

The woulda, shoulda, couldas are making me a little crazy. One part of me knows everyone does this and it's normal and I shouldn't torment myself, but another part of me doesn't seem to care and wakes me up at 3am anyway.

:grouphug:

[dirty ethel rackham]

Oh, Barb.  I am so sorry you are going through this.  How fortunate that your daughter and bf got out safely!  What stress!  Keeping your family in our prayers.

 

I didn't realize you were in Chicago.  I would have tried to meet up with you.  

[Wishes]

So sorry to hear about the fire. Very glad you family is safe though.

 

[Guest]

As soon as I described this to my husband he suspected the methane as well. It doesn't take much to reach a saturation point in the air for ignition.

[Ravin]

Barb, I just saw this! I'm so sorry!

 

I'd offer to help (I live in Tempe) but it sounds like with family there you have things as well in hand as you possibly can given the situation.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Spryte]

More hugs to you today.

 

I'd be up at 3 am, too, with the mind spinning and the what ifs. If there's anything you can do to get a good night's sleep - melatonin, whatever works for you... Don't hesitate to try it. You need sleep.

[ktgrok]

hey, I was up then too, with weird pregnancy dreams! Pacing the house a bit helps me calm down and go back to sleep. 

 

Honestly, I NEVER would have thought rotting meat could create gas that caught a house on fire!!! That's crazy.  I mean, it makes sense now that i think about it, but never would I have come up with that. Total freak thing. Thank heavens for home owners insurance!

 

Also, just the thought of that bad a smell makes me want to hurl. Honestly, part of me is thinking you were going to need a new house anyway, if you couldn't get rid of the smell. (joking, sort of. I'm in the laugh to keep from crying camp)

[Barb_]

hey, I was up then too, with weird pregnancy dreams! Pacing the house a bit helps me calm down and go back to sleep. 

 

Honestly, I NEVER would have thought rotting meat could create gas that caught a house on fire!!! That's crazy.  I mean, it makes sense now that i think about it, but never would I have come up with that. Total freak thing. Thank heavens for home owners insurance!

 

Also, just the thought of that bad a smell makes me want to hurl. Honestly, part of me is thinking you were going to need a new house anyway, if you couldn't get rid of the smell. (joking, sort of. I'm in the laugh to keep from crying camp)

 

Alright we have a date tomorrow morning then.

[Barb_]

As soon as I described this to my husband he suspected the methane as well. It doesn't take much to reach a saturation point in the air for ignition.

 

My oldest has a degree in Bio and she said that it would have occurred to her ahead of time but only because she works with things like that all the time.  Most people wouldn't, I don't think.  

[Barb_]

Barb, I just saw this! I'm so sorry!

 

I'd offer to help (I live in Tempe) but it sounds like with family there you have things as well in hand as you possibly can given the situation.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

Yes, thank goodness for Meghan.  She has been a rock.  She's my secondary contact as well as Emily's sounding board until I can pack up and get out there.

[Barb_]

So, so sorry. 

 

You might consider asking a friend to double check dealings with the insurance company. Another set of non-exhausted eyes on the proceedings might be a good protection. I hope they do you right and you don't have to fight for anything!

 

My grown daughter and my husband and I are all in the loop, and you're right.  It's really good to have multiple people keeping an eye on the proceedings.  The insurance folks have been terrific thus far but we're beginning to doubt the ethics of the restoration people.

[Guest]

My oldest has a degree in Bio and she said that it would have occurred to her ahead of time but only because she works with things like that all the time. Most people wouldn't, I don't think.

No, that's definitely true! My husband is an engineer and all around overly analytical geek. But in the heat of the moment I don't think that is something hardly anyone would think about, and opening windows to try and ventilate it could make it even worse since then you have a fuel, ignition, and additional oxygen to drive it faster. The gases make the speed of the blaze make more sense but it was such a freak thing, I don't think even a bio major or engineer would have noted enough variables to be able to prevent it.

 

Hindsight truly is 20/20, and even then 'knowing' doesn't mean something could have really been prevented. Hopefully she doesn't blame herself because it was absolutely a confluence of craziness that caused that fire from all you've indicated here.

[msrift]

Wow, that is such a crazy story. I continue to be grateful that we weren't home while the fire was raging so there was no dramatic exit. And also grateful that we came home after it burned itself out, since if we had come home in the middle of it the fire marshal said we could have easily caused a backdraft and blown ourselves up. 

I also had to chuckle at the liquified meat story. We had that happen to us as well. We thought a wild animal had crawled in and died (I guess it did, in a way). DH has a terrible gag reflex so I was the one in my undies emptying the freezer's drain pain while he circled around me spraying me w/febreeze. 

Anyway, back to the fire. We were told that they try to get you into comparable housing, so don't feel like you have to settle for the first place you find. We also weren't in a rush to replace anything other than bare minimum clothing (like 4 outfits apiece) until we were back in the house, partially because we didn't know what all they would be able to salvage, but also because we didn't want to mess with having to move everything multiple times. We also asked for an extension on repurchasing things because reconstruction took so long. Our insurance was also willing to work with us when it was time to repurchase. For instance, the amount for 'toys' just went into a bucket and we could repurchase anything that fit into that category within reason. It didn't have to be a one-to-one trade. That's how the kids ended up with lego mindstorms. 

As weird if it sounds, be grateful if they total it. I wished many, many times that they had just totaled our house. The reconstruction is long, time-consuming, and just flat out annoying. Don't be afraid to say that you still smell smoke. Make sure they do it right. We pestered them until they ended up replacing all of the attic insulation and some other things that weren't on the original list.

Our fire wasn't psychologically challenging for us, but that's probably because we had just gone through something that put everything in perspective. Everyone was safe, insurance was paying for everything, there was no trauma in escaping a fire...it was very easy to just power through. Not that that's how anyone else reacts. But it was how it was for us. We did end up with a very different perspective regarding material possessions. I can't believe how much crap we have! 

Our house fire began when halogen track lighting ignited the fort made out of packing boxes. Needless to say, we didn't include halogen lights when we rebuilt.

[Barb_]

Wow, that is such a crazy story. I continue to be grateful that we weren't home while the fire was raging so there was no dramatic exit. And also grateful that we came home after it burned itself out, since if we had come home in the middle of it the fire marshal said we could have easily caused a backdraft and blown ourselves up.

 

I also had to chuckle at the liquified meat story. We had that happen to us as well. We thought a wild animal had crawled in and died (I guess it did, in a way). DH has a terrible gag reflex so I was the one in my undies emptying the freezer's drain pain while he circled around me spraying me w/febreeze.

 

Anyway, back to the fire. We were told that they try to get you into comparable housing, so don't feel like you have to settle for the first place you find. We also weren't in a rush to replace anything other than bare minimum clothing (like 4 outfits apiece) until we were back in the house, partially because we didn't know what all they would be able to salvage, but also because we didn't want to mess with having to move everything multiple times. We also asked for an extension on repurchasing things because reconstruction took so long. Our insurance was also willing to work with us when it was time to repurchase. For instance, the amount for 'toys' just went into a bucket and we could repurchase anything that fit into that category within reason. It didn't have to be a one-to-one trade. That's how the kids ended up with lego mindstorms.

 

As weird if it sounds, be grateful if they total it. I wished many, many times that they had just totaled our house. The reconstruction is long, time-consuming, and just flat out annoying. Don't be afraid to say that you still smell smoke. Make sure they do it right. We pestered them until they ended up replacing all of the attic insulation and some other things that weren't on the original list.

 

Our fire wasn't psychologically challenging for us, but that's probably because we had just gone through something that put everything in perspective. Everyone was safe, insurance was paying for everything, there was no trauma in escaping a fire...it was very easy to just power through. Not that that's how anyone else reacts. But it was how it was for us. We did end up with a very different perspective regarding material possessions. I can't believe how much crap we have!

 

Our house fire began when halogen track lighting ignited the fort made out of packing boxes. Needless to say, we didn't include halogen lights when we rebuilt.

So much good advice here, thanks! I'm saving this thread in a file and I hope those of you who have experience dealing with this won't mind if I pick your brains now and then as I move through this?

 

Barb

 

ETA: And I know what you mean about material possessions. There aren't a lot that I'm worried about. About 18 years ago we had a sewer backup in the basement that drowned almost all of my baby pictures along with other important memorabilia. I'm holding my breath to see what happened to the quilts my grandmother hand sewed my grown daughters when they were babies. She's gone now. Also there were a few things like this lazy susan we've taken from house to house. My big kids used to call it the roundie-round. It has always been on our table during meals and I would fill the dishes with whatever I was serving and the kids would help themselves. My oldest girl was there directly following the fire and she said the roundie-round was the first thing she hunted for, but it was right in the center of the fire and was burnt to being unrecognizable. It's crazy the weird things you cry for. I will miss my curtains in the family room. They had a print on them that reminded me of blue and white chinese porcelain. I smiled every morning when I looked at them because they were so pretty. Those few things are what I'll miss because that was home to me.

 

ETA: This is silly, but I found a picture

Edited August 16, 2016 by Barb_

[Soror]

(barb & family) so glad you have a lot of support, one of the good things in all of this is all of this wonderful support and love from everyone.

Wow, that is such a crazy story. I continue to be grateful that we weren't home while the fire was raging so there was no dramatic exit. And also grateful that we came home after it burned itself out, since if we had come home in the middle of it the fire marshal said we could have easily caused a backdraft and blown ourselves up. 

I also had to chuckle at the liquified meat story. We had that happen to us as well. We thought a wild animal had crawled in and died (I guess it did, in a way). DH has a terrible gag reflex so I was the one in my undies emptying the freezer's drain pain while he circled around me spraying me w/febreeze. 

Anyway, back to the fire. We were told that they try to get you into comparable housing, so don't feel like you have to settle for the first place you find. We also weren't in a rush to replace anything other than bare minimum clothing (like 4 outfits apiece) until we were back in the house, partially because we didn't know what all they would be able to salvage, but also because we didn't want to mess with having to move everything multiple times. We also asked for an extension on repurchasing things because reconstruction took so long. Our insurance was also willing to work with us when it was time to repurchase. For instance, the amount for 'toys' just went into a bucket and we could repurchase anything that fit into that category within reason. It didn't have to be a one-to-one trade. That's how the kids ended up with lego mindstorms. 

As weird if it sounds, be grateful if they total it. I wished many, many times that they had just totaled our house. The reconstruction is long, time-consuming, and just flat out annoying. Don't be afraid to say that you still smell smoke. Make sure they do it right. We pestered them until they ended up replacing all of the attic insulation and some other things that weren't on the original list.

Our fire wasn't psychologically challenging for us, but that's probably because we had just gone through something that put everything in perspective. Everyone was safe, insurance was paying for everything, there was no trauma in escaping a fire...it was very easy to just power through. Not that that's how anyone else reacts. But it was how it was for us. We did end up with a very different perspective regarding material possessions. I can't believe how much crap we have! 

Our house fire began when halogen track lighting ignited the fort made out of packing boxes. Needless to say, we didn't include halogen lights when we rebuilt.

It was easier with the total, we didn't have to submit any receipts except for things like eating out and housing while we were working on rebuilding. For our possessions and the house we were just given checks.

 

The cause of our fire was never exactly determined, they had 2 suspicions one a battery charger in the attached garage and the other the dishwasher(evidently they are a big cause of fire). BUT it was so far gone by the time they got there and it wasn't certain.

 

I totally agree about not settling in where you live while you do a rebuild, it will likely be longer than you think.

[El...]

Methane from rotten meat!?  That's just nuts.  I would not have expected that risk, and I'm (theoretically, at least) an experienced adult.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug: :grouphug:  

[mommytobees]

Ouch!! 

 

11 years ago, in July, ....gosh, I can't believe it's been that long.... we had a house fire that took everything. The kids and I just happened to be out of the house at tae kwan do lessons and the cat was out at the Vet's. It was awful. A candle ignited our fire. I had blown it out, but since we were leaving the next day (why the cat was at the vet), I had the whole house locked up tight. The fire marshal thought my slamming the door was just enough of a breeze to relight the candle and a chain of events melted the living room. The fire didn't consume much, the house was locked up tight with the exception of the fire place (that we never used) in the same room as the candle. The neighbors started pounding on our door because smoke pouring out of the chimney in July was NOT normal. When the fire department finally arrived and busted down the door, it was seconds away from heat-exploding the windows and creating a backdraft. We were the 5th unit of townhouses in a row of 6 and the fire marshal determined that the attics didn't have fire-proof walls separating each unit. The whole building would have gone up. 

 

In the end, we lost everything. The TV and a number of other plastic things melted, so they recommended that we not keep any of the clothes or personal items. 

 

For a long time, the act of living was just moving from one day to the next. Filling out forms and purchasing new stuff. My kids were 4 and 7 at the time. Homeschooling was a nightmare and I almost enrolled them into school. Thankfully, it was a few months away from starting (about 6 weeks) and that was long enough to pick up the pieces. I was never one to need stuff, but the pictures were hard for me to lose. There were a few odds and ends in boxes in the detached garage, some of which should never have been there. 

 

{{{hugs}}}

 

Kris