Our House Fire
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This past Sunday our chimney and fireplace caught fire. All are safe. The house has survived. Nothing irreplaceable was lost or ruined. We were minutes from losing everything. In about an hour of very intense and serious effort, our local fire departments–-some fifteen or more trucks---saved our home. What could have been catastrophe is now just quite the mess.
The longer story.
We've been using our wood burning fireplace all winter. In January we had the chimney sweep here, cleaned and checked. We live in a very rural log home on 50+ acres and about 600 meters from a dirt road, quite isolated, and I have always been keenly aware that fires can happen. Winter here in western New York is also quite an experience.
My wife Susan noticed the fire just as it was taking hold---she might well have been down in her art studio. I was in my study on the opposite side of the house. The fire was entirely out of our control in less than five minutes.
Our local Fire Department was heroic and methodical but it took them some 20 minutes to arrive. It's a long way to our house from anywhere. The fire was spreading fast and hard---to the eaves, to the roof. They still hadn't arrived. It looked like we were going to lose the whole house...in minutes. But they formulated a plan in minutes and set out to save the house.
They climbed to the snow and ice covered roof and literally chainsawed the logs around the chimney. They hacked the logs, sent water 2000 feet from the road, chainsawed out the burning fireplace and threw it into the front yard, then they literally kicked the chimney---some 50 feet of formidable stone masonry---into the side yard. About half the outside deck went with it. (Check out the picture below, that's the toppled chimney in the yard.) It took about an hour before it was clear that the house would be saved. Water damage is extensive and that awful smell--- but it can all be repaired in time.
In the heat of the moment (can you stand the pun?) I had to decide what to pull from my office, what to try to save if it was all going to burn down. It was a quite an interesting contemplation. What do you grab when you know you have only a very few minutes? I don't recommend this experience.
I took a few irreplaceable pictures of my parents who have passed, my teacher, and a small shelf of memories. I closed the doors behind me, thinking that if the Fire Department was going to save the house, this would mitigate smoke damage. It worked and after it was over we were able to find three rooms in the house where we could stay---they didn't need to shut off our electricity and that saved the house from bursting frozen pipes.
On the way out, I opened my closet, grabbed an IH UHF, pulled on my IHJ-54, and took the Himel Bros. jacket. That's it. I was wearing my 634S-21s---so if my house was going to burn to the ground, at least I would have my few favorite things.
What could have been tragic or a catastrophic loss----a 40+ year career of books and notes---is now merely a mess and a rebuild. And of course the blessing that no one was hurt, particularly the heroic firefighters.
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Oh God, I'm so sorry that happened. But it's awesome everyone survived. Hopefully you get a nice insurance payout and some great renovations…
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Oh man that’s terrible, but I’m glad you and your family are safe.
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As mentioned I'm glad you all are all right, and survived. Also inspiring story of the fire fighters.
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@ profdbrk Oh, this is a serious test! Few can handle this. You heroes with damn self-control!
I am glad that you and your loved ones are alive and well! -
So here I am standing in the yard, completely dependent on the courage of firefighters to save our home and I'm thinking to myself, "Well, there go those fades on the Iron Hearts that I was working on…"
You may recall the story that when presented a cold cup of tea as the fleet headed into the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson reproved his steward declaring such an indignity a "catastrophe." When it was pointed out that he'd already suffered the loss an eye and an arm for King and Country, he replied that to be "a minor inconvenience." I'm going with this one with a tincture of Monty Python's Black Knight: Just a flesh wound.
Thanks to all for you concern. We have work ahead to do but things could have been far worse.
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…floods and fires, equally devastating yet polar opposites. Happy you came out of it ' with just a scratch'!
...Chimney sweep was out in January? What the hell happened? Creosote build up that quick?
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Thanks for sharing it was a great read even though the story is painful to hear. looking forward, I fully expect a wood fired pizza oven to be added during the rebuild.
all the best to you as you move forward.
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Incredible story, happy to hear no one was hurt. Fascinating that the fire fighters chain sawed parts and kicked the fiery chimney out. It makes sense to do that, like cutting off a bad limb instead of sacrificing an entire body.
A couple buddies of mine's apartment burnt down some years back. I helped them find their belongings in the rubble the next day, and I know exactly that smell you are referring to.
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I'm amazed that you seem to be so calm about it. Sure it could have been much worse but I admire your confidence and am sure glad no one got hurt.
The company that swept and checked the chimney must have some responsibility. I heard a lot of horror stories about botched jobs for chimneys.
I know my father does it himslef at my parents home after a bad surprise with a "professionnal" many years ago.