A Fire Story

This seems like a good time to tell more about the fire.

It started in the electrical wiring associated with the part of the heat/air conditioning system that lives in the hallway closet (the blower and the coils, I believe), and it was actually under the house. 

The house has a crawl-space and is supported by wooden beams. Apparently there was a pretty good smolder going for a while before the smell of smoke had me hunting around for its source. Talk about a terrible thought sequence: 

Did I leave the oven on? No. 

Did I have a candle burning? No. 

Did the neighbors start up their fire pit again? Nope, the air is nice and fresh outside. 

OH %#&@, the smell is inside the house!   

Right about then, I saw a wisp of smoke coming out of the bottom of that hallway closet. Seconds later, the smoke alarm started up its ear-piercing beep, also shouting "Fire! Fire! Fire!" The rest is kind of a blur. 

Even so, there is lots of good news. The house did not burn down; in fact, most of the damage is underneath so you can hardly see it. The fire department was actually very careful -- definitely NOT the old style crew that comes in with axes and hoses and destroys everything! Most of the water went down the hole they opened in the bottom of the closet, so it doused the fire and then soaked into the dirt underneath the house. Some water sprayed onto the wood floor of the hallway, causing some cupping, but most of the books were untouched. A few books got damp and later moldy, but only a handful, and none of the collectible ones were affected. (Oddly enough, these books were not the damp ones -- but you can see the bookshelves are right there. The firemen made this hole by removing the vent to get at the fire from another side.)  

Each of the cats reacted in character: LP hid in a closet and was carried out by a fireman. He was very calm and went easily into a carrier. Maggie also hid in a closet and was carried out, but as soon as she saw all the commotion she struggled until she got away from him and ran to hide in the neighbor's bushes. (She came back 2 days later, hungry and ready to resume domestic life.) Clouseau hid under the kitchen cabinets and was neither found nor rescued until everyone had left and I was cleaning things up. Then he poked his head out, seeming to ask "Is the coast clear?" and "What was THAT all about?" Missy, I'm sad to say, was on the back porch when things got crazy and she took advantage of an open door to run out. She has not been seen since. I think she has happily returned to her feral ways; I don't think she is even trying to come back.  I suspect if you asked her she would tell you she's been held against her will all these years. 

The power company came and took the meter off the house, to make sure there was no electricity that might start the fire up again until the wiring could be checked. The firemen who crawled under the house told me they banged into a bunch of plumbing, so that needed to be checked; meanwhile, the water was turned off. (I had the plumbing checked later; it was fine. Whew!)

Even though most of the house was undamaged, I couldn't live there without power or water. I stayed with Kayak Guy for a while but it became apparent that it was going to be months until repairs were completed, so now I'm in a furnished rental. I brought all the books with me, so they can be stored with air conditioning, while most of the furniture went into a large storage container in the driveway. Here's hoping the heat and humidity are kind to those items. It's all the hassle of moving without the satisfaction of knowing it's finished. It will be another 45 days until I can move back in -- assuming all goes well.

Now that they've opened up the floor, I can see what happened. (Yes, I had to go outside when they used the big saw to cut into my beautiful floor.) Repairs involve sanding, sealing, and reinforcing the charred beams and subfloor under the house, a new heat/AC unit (inside and outside), new wiring, floor repair and refinishing, and painting. That amounts to structural work, systems work, and remediation to get the smell of smoke out of the house. I am washing all the curtains, sheets, and towels, and have washed or dry cleaned all my clothes. I think the books will be okay, and the artwork. A good airing should be sufficient. 

So far I am very impressed with the contractor and all the workmen. I spent two weeks dinking around with one contractor, who seemed more interested in getting on the gravy train of insurance money than anything else. That contractor wanted me to sign a very one-sided contract and when I asked for changes to make it more fair, told me they didn't want the job. Okay, fine and what's more, good riddance! It was a blessing in disguise.    

Everyone once in a while I get a big whiff of that smoky smell and it's pretty unpleasant. Bonfires or campfires hold no charm or comfort for me right now. Instead I remember going to clubs back in the day and coming home reeking of cigarettes, just from being inside. I used to shower and wash my hair, even in the wee hours of the morning, because the smell was so strong. Same thing now: I don't need any reminders, thanks very much.

And mostly the house smells like fresh wood. (That's all temporary while we wait for the AC installer and the electrician.) 

I am fully aware that it's all hugely less difficult and disruptive than it could have been. Thank goodness it was only a smolder. Thank goodness I was home to discover it before it progressed to more. Thank goodness I have insurance. 

I am darn lucky.