If your home burns, what would you grab quickly to salvage??

[Trenchfriend]

I thought for a while about it, but in the end:

-the notebook
-the SLR-camera(s)

 

[Michael R.]

I need to think about that . Good Thread Trenchy .

 

[Lean'n'mean]

It's unlikely my home would burn to a degree that I only had a few seconds to grab something but if it did, ( I have thought about it though) once the dog was out & safe, I reckon I would grab my rucksack which is nearly always within reach & half packed. Although it would be difficult to replace as it's vintage, the main reasons are that it is a symbol of my liberty & that we've had many adventures together & I'm emotionally attached to it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My cat, although it's more likely she'd be dragging me out.

My strongbox, containing my personal papers.

My glasses, because if you can't see where you're running to, you won't get very far.

 

[totallyfrozen]

My daughter.
That's the first thing I would grab and maybe the only I'd have time for.
...Sorry, dogs. Love you guys.

Very interesting topic! By strange coincidence, I have a college degree in fire service and training in firefighting and rescue practices.

I think most people would be surprised at how fast a house can burn down. It depends on the building materials. The NFPA has information and videos available. According to the NFPA, an "averaged" sized single family home of typical wood construction can burn from a smoldering trashcan to the house collapsing in ashes in only 10 minutes. The smoke and heat can fill a house and make it unbearable in seconds.

If you add in the confusion caused by panic, lowered visibility, breathing difficulties, and possible unknown whereabouts of pets and/or loved ones, you can imagine how quickly your time begins to runout. I'm afraid, we'd have very little time to grab much of anything that wasn't already packed and sitting by the exit.

I'd love to think that I'd let my dogs out, grab an adjustable wrench from the garage, and run over and shut off the gas main after my wife and daughter were out. But in reality, I'd probably have enough time to yell to my wife "fire! Get out now!" And grab my daughter.

The worst part is the smoke. It's travels fast, it chokes you, and it blinds you.

Great thread! I'd love to hear everyone's ideas on it. It may help me prepare my family better.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HanauMan]

My wife and my cat.

I have a fire resistant strongbox in which I keep all my important documents, so not too worried about them. The box should hold up until the fire services arrive.

I have a bag with a change of clothing, spare credit card, some toiletries etc ready should we ever need to 'bug out' fast.

I certainly wouldn't waste time, or risk my life, to try and save anything else from the house.

 

[Bushman]

My portable hard drive. My entire computer is on it for just in case, so it's basically my entire life.

 

[Edward]

After Herself and the cat, maybe s favourite guitar and one of my more precious 7" singles...

 

[belfastboy]

I am a few psych sessions past being a "hoarder" BUT if there was a fire in my house I would likely be the one to go up in smoke. Likely paralyzed by trying to decide which of my stuff to save.

 

[GHT]

After Herself and the cat, maybe s favourite guitar and one of my more precious 7" singles...

I wish you hadn't mentioned the 7" singles. I'll come back to that shortly. Her Ladyship first & foremost, then our three Birman cats. And then, Edward's prompt will probably have me ending up as toast. My valve driven Wurlitzer Juke Box. It's so big it can only go through the patio door and you need one of those two wheeled porter trolley things because you can't lift it. As well as the records in the rack, I keep a collection of others inside the jukebox, amongst them are the five records that Elvis released on The Sun Record label.

Once I've got that out safely I'll need to go back in to save my grandparents wireless. (radio) Granny gave it to us after Grandfather died. It was a wedding present of their's. Then there's my vintage phone, my wind up gramophone that only plays 78's. Can someone throw a bucket of water this way and stall the flames a while longer, please.

Tina is lucky, she keeps her collection of vintage sewing machines in her workshop cabin, that is well away from the house. Think I might get a carpenter in to build me a man cave.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Think I might get a carpenter in to build me a man cave.

Better make that a bricklayer or stonemason, less likely to go up in flames.

 

[2jakes]

I thought for a while about it, but in the end:

-the notebook
-the SLR-camera(s)

Working for the news, I was covering a hotel fire. We were kept at
a distance across the street by the police.

At one point, the wind changed and carried the smoke towards my
direction.
Within seconds my eyes watered, I could no longer see.
Also I felt as if someone had punched me hard in the stomach.
Breathing became very difficult.

Knowing this, if I was to wake up with the house on fire, I would get
down to the level of my dogs and cats and we would crawl out as
fast as possible.

I have a fire box for important papers.
So far I’ve been fortunate...it hasn’t been tested.

I wouldn’t attempt to salvage a thing.
Everything can be replaced.
Except my pets.

I keep fire extinguishers in the kitchen and bedroom.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I hate to think of how fast and how completely my house would burn if it ever caught, between the old, dry wood and the stacks of paper. I try to keep paper stuff stacked tightly, and books shelved, so that they don't get a lot of oxygen, and maybe that would help. But I saw another house on my street burn last year, and it went fast. So this is something I do think about a lot.

I wouldn't have a chance of getting my books and records out of here in time. I've got milk crates full of 78s in my spare room closet, and stacks of 16-inch radio transcriptions in my office closet, and the sheer weight of them would make it impossible to evacuate them from a fire. Likewise my furniture and appliances -- it takes a good fifteen minutes to dismantle the living room radio for moving, and would take two trips to get it out, so I'm afraid that if a fire comes, it's a goner along with most of the rest of my stuff. And my garage is very close to the house, and is made entirely of old oil-soaked wood, so I doubt I'd have much chance to get the Plodge safely away. Best to worry about the things I can get out than to burn to death trying to save things I couldn't. I think a lot about how I'd want to die, and burning is at the very bottom of the list of options.

 

[totallyfrozen]

I am a few psych sessions past being a "hoarder" BUT if there was a fire in my house I would likely be the one to go up in smoke. Likely paralyzed by trying to decide which of my stuff to save.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2jakes]

I think a lot about how I'd want to die, and burning is at the very bottom of the list of options.

Of the numerous reports I've made over
time with the fire department when they
conduct a press conference regarding
the cause of death....
Some 50–80% of fire deaths are the result of smoke inhalation injuries, including burns to the respiratory system. The hot smoke injures or kills
by a combination of thermal damage, poisoning and pulmonary irritation and swelling, caused by carbon monoxide, cyanide and other combustion products.

It would be sad to see what you have in your place go up in smoke.
You have many wonderful things that
should be salvage.
Beginning with you.

 

[robrinay]

My wife, step-daughter and our beagle, everything else is replaceable and is insured.

 

[vitanola]

I hate to think of how fast and how completely my house would burn if it ever caught, between the old, dry wood and the stacks of paper. I try to keep paper stuff stacked tightly, and books shelved, so that they don't get a lot of oxygen, and maybe that would help. But I saw another house on my street burn last year, and it went fast. So this is something I do think about a lot.

I wouldn't have a chance of getting my books and records out of here in time. I've got milk crates full of 78s in my spare room closet, and stacks of 16-inch radio transcriptions in my office closet, and the sheer weight of them would make it impossible to evacuate them from a fire. Likewise my furniture and appliances -- it takes a good fifteen minutes to dismantle the living room radio for moving, and would take two trips to get it out, so I'm afraid that if a fire comes, it's a goner along with most of the rest of my stuff. And my garage is very close to the house, and is made entirely of old oil-soaked wood, so I doubt I'd have much chance to get the Plodge safely away. Best to worry about the things I can get out than to burn to death trying to save things I couldn't. I think a lot about how I'd want to die, and burning is at the very bottom of the list of options.

Having experienced two fires (one in our carriage house, not in the main house, the other, decades ago in a factory building in which I rented space), I know just how swiftly fire takes hold. I ran in when the flames were just beginning, and salvaged a couple of albums of phonograph records which were near the door. In seconds the flames were too hot and too widely spread to allow any further efforts at salvage.

No, I would make certain that everyone, and hopefully, every pet, was out of the house, let the firemen do their jobs, and start over again.

I hope to heaven that I never again have this experience!

 

[scottyrocks]

Assuming I could take anything, I'd have to grab my computer and at least one of my duplicate external hard drives.

I don't count people because they are not things, and they are both old enough to gtfo. But they are first and foremost, regardless. And in a fire I'm sure the dogs would bolt as soon as the door was opened.

 

[sheeplady]

My kids and my husband. Maybe my pets, but I am not running back into a burning house and risking my kids watching themselves lose their mother or father for a pet.

It takes less than 20 minutes for a house to be engulfed, and more like 10 if you have lots of MDF or such.

If I had the time, I'd grab my wedding ring and throw on a bath robe and try to grab the kids stuffies and blankets when i grab the kids. While kicking my husband awake.

Stuff is stuff. And this may sound horrible, but with limited time, a pet is a pet. My parents were Hoarders (with a capital H) and couldnt have gotten out of their house due to stuff, and they'd probably die rather than leaving their hoard. No thank you. You can't really take it with you and I intend to live a LONG time.

And this reminds me I need to start backing up the family pictures remotely.

 

[2jakes]

In case of fire, I’d be out the door pronto.
Material things can be replaced.

Polo would be outside already!

So....what kept you?