What a night!

[meriad]

gosh, what a horrid thing to happen Jo - thank goodness the dogs woke them and they had smoke alarms (note to self - and everyone else that reads this - to test the smoke alarm at home) and that no-one was injured. I watched a short video a while back as part of my fire marshall training and it's scary just how quick the smoke from a fire can kill a person - it's not the actual fire.

As for switching things off - my TV is always off at the socket when I'm not watching it (it's on one of these remote plugs - they're fab!). I tend to always run my dishwasher and washing machine at night but hardly use my tumble drier and when I do I'm home. Most plug sockets are left on, mobile phone chargers are never left in plugs when not being used

[Workingman]

Crikey Jo, that was a fortunate escape for the family.... you could quite easily have been reporting a disaster today.

I don't turn wall sockets off if the appliances have their own physical off switch, but I don't leave things on standby, especially those with digital displays - they get a hard "off" at the socket.

[JoM]

Had hardly any sleep last night, I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky they were that it wasn't worse. We've got electric smoke alarms and they're linked so if the one detects smoke then they go off on all three floors, all interior doors are fire doors too but I must admit that the only time they really get closed is when the dog's home alone. The alarms and doors were fitted as a standard by the builders.

I switch most things off at the wall when not in use. I think it goes back to when I was a child and there were two separate occasions when a particular socket in the living room went bang and shot flames up the wall while I was in there. After that I was terrified of fire and would often wake at night and be convinced that I could smell smoke and my poor old Mom would have to go and investigate.

A theory the fire service came up with last night was that N had defrosted some meat in a dish on top of the microwave (something I do too because it's out of reach of the dog) and some water from that may have dripped into the microwave.

What a fabulous community we have here though. There are 12 occupied houses on our close and there were people from 7 of them outside last night, for around 90 minutes up until 1.30am, all helping in anyway we could.

I sent N a text this morning to see how they're doing, and to offer the use of our kitchen should she want, she replied saying that they're all okay and very thankful...but the smell is terrible!

[Ally]

Gosh Jo I'm glad all is ok.

The words 'twins and toddler' leapt out at me.

I leave everything on and plugged in.
We don't have a tumble dryer.

[JoM]

The twins worried me Ally, when I went out N was sobbing outside with the toddler but the twins were nowhere to be seen and all of the men were around the back of the house...I thought they were still inside and I didn't know the situation with the fire at that time but they'd quickly been taken in by another neighbour. But the feeling of utter dread during that split second....

[Ally]

The twins worried me Ally, when I went out N was sobbing outside with the toddler but the twins were nowhere to be seen and all of the men were around the back of the house...I thought they were still inside and I didn't know the situation with the fire at that time but they'd quickly been taken in by another neighbour. But the feeling of utter dread during that split second....

[Kaz]

Oooh Jo, that made me go all goose-pimply

Thank goodness nobody was hurt xxxx

[miasmum]

I remember a few years ago waking up and thinking I can smell burning. I got on to the landing and I heard a bang and a scream. I ran back in our bedroom and said "something going on" got my dressing gown and slippers and ran downstairs, looked out the kitchen window and there was the hugest fire over the back. I called the fire brigade who were already on their way. The cats had been in their cat run and they smelt like smoke damaged goods. All night the fire engines kept coming to use the fire hydrant at the end of our road to fill up.

It turned out to be a garage fire, but a land rover full of petrol went up. Luckily the garage was at the end of their garden, not attached to their house, probably nearer to ours. But it shook me up so I know how you feel

[Weka]

I just reread my post and I can't believe I didn't actually type, I'm so pleased they are all safe and ok. My mind must have been racing so much, I know I was definitely thinking it and I certainly meant to type it!!

Apart from the smell, Is there much damage to the actual kitchen?

[JoM]

Some of the cabinets are damaged Weka, but smoke damage is the main problem. For instance they have wooden flooring in their hall and the soot has settled into all of the joints inbetween each strip of wood and without getting the floor up there's no way of cleaning it out

Bless her, and she really didn't have to do this, N did a wine delivery around the close yesterday, bringing a lovely bottle to each neighbour who had helped them.