Nothing in this world can quite prepare you to open your bedroom door in the middle of the night and see flickering flames just a few yards away.
Around 3am this morning, the distant sound of a high-pitched beeping crept through our bedroom door. As my husband and I simultaneously stumbled from our weary sleep into the present reality, it hit me:
That sound is the smoke alarm.
At the exact same time, we jumped out of bed, threw open the door, and were immediately faced with what looked like an open fire pit in the corner of our living room.
My husband sprang into action, grabbing our Berkey, always filled with gallons of water, to douse the flames. I ran to get the kids.
“Get up! There’s a fire! We have to get out of the house!”
You know how they say that kids will sleep through a smoke alarm? Well, they’re right. Kids will sleep through anything, sometimes even including your shaking them violently to get them up.
I got the girls out and ran downstairs to get the boys. When everyone was out, I yelled through the smoke to my husband that I was calling 911.
He was still tossing flaming logs out the front door and into the drizzling rain.
The firemen were quick to arrive. It is surreal to hear sirens in the middle of the night and know they are headed for your house.
The kids piled into the van and I ran inside to grab the keys so I could turn it on for heat. Though we were very grateful it was 60 degrees outside, the light rain added a layer of chill, and they had stood outside for at least 5 minutes before I thought of the van.
We still aren’t sure exactly what happened. Our new fireplace insert is completely enclosed, so there was zero chance of a spark. Not to mention the fact that the fire started several feet away and around a stone corner.
We have a theory about our kindling box. It sat downstairs for a few years untouched, and perhaps the sawdust had started to decompose and was warm. The added heat from the living room could maybe have been just enough to cause it to smolder?
In any case, we are so grateful. Things could have been so much worse.
Just a few months ago, we had an entire wall of books right where the fire was. I can’t imagine how drastically that one small change could have produced an entirely different outcome.
Providentially, the fire was located up against a wall without any decor to catch fire and just far enough away from the furniture that it was also safe from the flames.
It happened in a corner with one wall being made of impenetrable stone, which surely helped contain the fire.
It happened over the only part of our basement that is yet unfinished and therefore did not damage the ceiling of the basement.
There are so many blessings in the ashy mess.
If any of you have experience with removing the smoky smell from the air, furniture, etc. I am all ears.
We are diffusing oils (and applying them to my husband’s hand, which he burned while fighting the flames.)
I have our sheets soaking in a tub with oils, baking soda, and epsom salts.
But I’m most concerned about the air and the furniture – things we can’t just toss in the washer.
I have a slight asthmatic response to smoke, as well as a mild allergy to it, so I’d love to get the air as clean as possible in here, as soon as possible.
The kids seem fine, emotionally. I think we’re all okay. Just a bit shaken. It was definitely scary.
We see God’s hand all over the details of this fire and we are grateful for so many blessings.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:22-23)