Bug out just happened in my home!!(house fire)

Please move this if this is in the wrong place.

This is what happened 2 hours ago.

The family is in different parts of the house.

9yo- Taking a bath
12yo- reading a book on the couch
14yo- on his computer in his room
Me- on the computer in the living room(eating ice cream)

We had a cold snap today and so I started a fire in the wood stove at around 5pm. It had died down so I told my 14yo to stoke the fire and throw another log on. He did and then he went back to his computer.

Within 5 min the front room was extreamly hot I looked up and the stove pipe was cherry red, the top of the stove was cherry red and the harth was smoking!!!

I yeld for my 14yo and told him to GO GO GO!! (Some of our key words we use in Bug Out drills)

My 12yo heard me and she ran to the bathroom and grabbed the 9yo out of the tub and wraped her in a towel, and headed for the door. She grabbed a coat for the 9yo and took her to the car. Then she came back in and grabbed 2 BOB's that we keep right inside the front door and then back to the car.

Mean while I am grabbing my big BOB and calling 911. My 14yo has grabbed his cell and called Grandpa and Grandma while running to the car. Grandpa is a fire fighter.

I can't find my damn keys!!(They are right where they are suposed to be)

I get the dog out of the cage and head to the car. My 14yo runs to the neighbors and gets help. I back the car away from the house and tell the girls to sit tight.

All the while HUGE flames are shooting out of the chimney! Smoke is everywhere.

Neighbor had some guy friends at the house so they all came over. Got to the stove and dampered it down.

I am not in my dad's fire district but he made it here brfore our FD did.

With the neighbors and my dads help it was under control. FD shows up hangs out and makes sure all is good.

Now is what brings me almost to tears..............with pride I tell you fellow ATSers this...............

All my children were in the car with BOB's doing what we have trained for so many times. No screaming, no fear that kept them from doing just what needed to be done.

The house is fine just a little damage, the kids are fine, and I am still in aw and wonder at the whole thing.

Note to add---- We have different code words for different situations. so when I yeld GO GO GO, they all new it was a fire. So there was no need for them to ask whats going on before doing what was needed.


Now my thank you.............

THANK YOU ATSers for all the advice and info on how to train and be prepared. From Martial law to house fires WE WILL SURVIVE!!!!!!!!

Flag from me for being so amazingly tight and organised!

Your kids are awesome for doing exactly as trained and not panicing. All house holds should look to yours for inspiration to get off their arses and do this prep work....it saved lives and property!

well done!

Thank you Freakyclown.

am still in shock how well they reacted. They will be treated at kings and queens in my house today!

I just got off the phone with my mom and I told her how stange it is that these children fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but last night proved to me that I can trust them with my life and the lives of each other.

It puts so much peace in my soul.

Awesome, I hope I can instill the same in my children.

Originally posted by freedomataprice
THANK YOU ATSers for all the advice and info on how to train and be prepared. From Martial law to house fires WE WILL SURVIVE!!!!!!!!

Your story is exactly the reason we fought for this forum to be opened. I, along with many others, noted that there were all sorts of mentions of what could happen, "from Martial Law to house fires" as you so well put it, but there was no good place to discuss what to do about it, or to trade advice or ask questions on how to go about surviving these emergency situations. I am delighted that this forum was able to help y'all prepare for the safety and well-being of your family and home.

I'm sure you don't need me to say this, but just in case, be sure to take each child aside, individually, and tell them how proud you are of them, and what a good job they did, and how well they listened and stuck to the plan. It will mean a lot to them, and stay with them the rest of their lives. Tell them we're proud of them at ATS as well, and I personally hope my own child will be that responsive to the Situation X plans of action. Congratulations to yourself are very much in order for having the foresight to make a plan, and taking the time to train your family to enact it.

Great job!

Originally posted by freedomataprice

Within 5 min the front room was extreamly hot I looked up and the stove pipe was cherry red, the top of the stove was cherry red and the harth was smoking!!!

Did you find out what had caused your stove to start burning so hot?

good to know you're all safe n sound though

Originally posted by citizen smith
Did you find out what had caused your stove to start burning so hot?

My guess is that it was creosote build-up, if it was a wood-burning stove.

A very compelling post - your kids sound amazing! The story made me realize that having a BoB is not being prepared in and of itself. I need to work with my family about how they should react. Also a great example of the importance of a few good neighbors.

wow,massive kudos to you for having your littluns ready for an emergency. i wonder how many other parents do that!(I know mine didn't) Glad to hear that you all got out unscathed,I hope the mess isn't too bad to sort out.

I am thankful there were no injuries. Being prepared is a lot more than a BoB, it's also practice and calm action in the face of danger. You and yours have shown yourselves well.

Yes, ATS as a whole should be proud as well. If some of the things we talk about here lead to saving a single human from either a personal or general disaster, then it's all been worthwhile. Thank you ATS for again making me proud to be a part of the best dysfunctional family on the planet.

Starred, flagged, and the works.

Edit to add:

**And EVERYONEDigg this story so the world can see something good coming from us nutters!

[edit on 21-4-2008 by NGC2736]

I think that is great that you worked with your kids and they were calm and not stressed out during rough times. More people need to do this with their kids. I am happy you guys are all safe and sound. It is always better to be prepared than not, I think. You should be proud

what do the Big Ol Burritos from taco bueno have to do with survival in a fire?

sorry just had to!

for what it is worth though I am printing this thread out and giving it to my sisters that both have several children. I salute you sir for being not the homer and peter griffin and al bundy we have been made out to be.

Outstanding Plan
Outstanding Kids
Outstanding Dad MOM (I stand corrected)
Outstanding Story
Outstanding Collaboration

... and of course -Outstanding Organization (pun intended)

You gots to love a happy ending. Glad you're all safe, mate.

Good on you and yours.



[edit on 21-4-2008 by Jbird]

Forgive me, I do have the one question of what BOB stands for. I went and looked for acronyms and came up with about *90* of them.

Bring Own Booze (?)... probably not, seeing as the kids had the BOB's in the car.

Boy On Bike (?)... nah.

Battery Operated Boyfriend (?)... hmmm... sounds like there may be a priest involved here, if the kids have this in the car.

Ohhhhhh... ok... it must be "Bug Out Bag"

personally i was hoping it meant "Big Ol burrito" but my and my dad did some very esoteric research and we think it means

bag of belongings

oddly enough my bag of belongings would contain a nicely sized burrito.

this post got me really thinking and I sent it to everyone I know with a family. thanks to the OP

I just wanted to stop by and answer any question that might have come up.

Yes it was a build up of creosote that started the whole mess.

The next thing I would like to say is. Thanks to all the posts but I think a few of you have things a little wrong. Due to the fact that I didn't mention it.

I am a single Mom. So in my mind, when a couple of you said Sir and great dad, I just changed it in my head to mean Mis and great mom. Hope you don't mind.

BOB means to me Bug out Bag.

Back to work on the roof today cleaning the stove pipe!

Mom, you rock!!!!
You have proven that sitx is ANYTHING that causes a family to flee.
You really made these threads work for you and your family. I hope that this serves as an example to those who snicker at us for being prepared.

This is a proud day.

On a side note, I am glad that you saved your home as well.
A panic could have easily caused you a worse scenario.

May all of our families benefit from this.




(bbcode)

[edit on 21-4-2008 by Jbird]

I've read a couple of the replies (going back to read more), and just wanted to say that I honestly, for the better part of my life, took it for granted that people were all brought up with some kind of survival skills. It was basically because I never really had been around anybody that wasn't raised with some survival skills.

I grew up in Wyoming, where we didn't see as much of the technological boundary between our forefathers and the present. Most of the kids here grew up learning about the trappers and such that first came to the Wyoming territory. Most of my friends are from the Boyscouts, and camping to most of us doesn't include sleeping in the vehicle you drove (motorhome OR the wagon), although none deny that it is alot more comfortable.

I loved the thread because it reminds me that there are alot of people that wouldn't know what to do in such situations, but some that were able to learn and teach others just from friendly's on a website. It also serves to show that such skills aren't just for the paranoid nutcases, but is rather a rational skill to learn for overall preparedness and awareness of the world around you.

I hope the knowledge others have shared on this site bring about even more positive results for you and your family!

[edit on 25-4-2008 by Earthscum]