That Was Close......

[gun sane]

Around 9 o'clock last night the power went out as the wife was heating up some noodles on the stove. It was a rolling blackout or, more likely, some drunken driver hit a pole. Three hours later the juice was still off so there wasn't much to stay up for. I finally drifted off after 30 minutes, but just dozing. At about 2 a.m. I was awakened to the alarming voice of the wife saying, "Oh, my God!.....Oh, my God!" I instinctively knew she wasn't talking to me.

Turns out the noodle pot was left on the electric burner. When the power was restored, the water boiled off and the noodles started to burn. Smoke filled the kitchen pretty quickly and she just happened to wake up at the right time.

As it says in the Psalms, "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." I'm thankful that He kept an eye peeled on our house, too.

[tnguy]

No smoke alarm?

[gun sane]

She may have caught it before it went off.  Although I did hear a low battery beep in a bedroom sensor prior to going to bed.  I just didn't want to mess with it in the dark.  A system test ain't a bad idea.

[runco]

You are lucky.  I make sure your smoke detectors work.  We have seven in our house, one in the kitchen area, one in each of the bedrooms, one each in each of the bathrooms, and then one for the garage.  Practically every room that is shutoff with a door. 

 

My parents when I was in my young 20s had a stove burner that never worked from day one of the installation.  That was some 12 years earlier.  One afternoon in 1987, dad was at work, mom was with some friends eating dinner a restaurant, a brief afternoon thunderstorm came through, and I got a call at work from someone looking for my mother that their house was on fire.  It was determined that the stove, specifically the one stove burner that never worked, suddenly worked, and the decorative pot mom had sitting on there, melted and caught the house on fire.  The fire marshall theorized that maybe the house was lightning struck and somehow the non-working stove burner began working again.  Don't know how the switch was left on.  Could have been left on for years.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Runco

[daddyo]

Pretty sure the OP is acutely aware of fire safety after having a scare like that.

Glad it turned out OK gun sane!

[RED333]

WOW, glad things did not go to bad.

[rugerla1]

Very glad this story had an outcome better than it could have been!

[bersaguy]

Glad to hear things are safe for you now and your wife woke when she did. I have a policy of checking my 4 Smoke and Toxic Gas detectors when I change the month page on my calender each month. If it does not respond quick enough I install a new battery. If it still fails to respond quick enough I replace the detector. Also as a tip to all who depend on the detectors, I use to press the button to test them. Not any more. I will light a piece of rolled up paper till it is burning and then blow it out ad hold the smokinng paper beneath the detector and make sure the smoke turns it on. I have had them work with the button and not work with the smoking paper......just a tip I learned to do. I also have 30lb ABC Fire extinguishers in every room right under the smoke detectors. I check the gauges on them once a month also. I look at fire departments like I look at police departments. When seconds count they are only minutes away and fire waits on no man...........jmho

[HvBikeWlTravel]

I recently added to my extinguisher arsenal with a couple of Tundra(brand) cannisters. I'll assume they're fairly recent technology that claims to extinguish better than some of the older larger bottles.

One of the most attractive features, IMHO, is the size. Many women, and some men might not want a 10-20 lb. bottle anywhere near their kitchen, but these things sit rather inconspiciously on a pantry or cabinet shelf.  Two of those and two of the older style strategically located give me some peace of mind.  I also gave some to family members that are less inclined to think about that kinda stuff.

[HvBikeWlTravel]

Glad to hear things are safe for you now and your wife woke when she did. I have a policy of checking my 4 Smoke and Toxic Gas detectors when I change the month page on my calender each month. If it does not respond quick enough I install a new battery. If it still fails to respond quick enough I replace the detector. Also as a tip to all who depend on the detectors, I use to press the button to test them. Not any more. I will light a piece of rolled up paper till it is burning and then blow it out ad hold the smokinng paper beneath the detector and make sure the smoke turns it on. I have had them work with the button and not work with the smoking paper......just a tip I learned to do. I also have 30lb ABC Fire extinguishers in every room right under the smoke detectors. I check the gauges on them once a month also. I look at fire departments like I look at police departments. When seconds count they are only minutes away and fire waits on no man...........jmho

 

I have noticed my ABC white bottle extinguisher charge needle is right there at the "recharge" line. But I'm not sure this Walmart special can be recharged.  Probably just as cheap to buy a new one.

[bersaguy]

I have noticed my ABC white bottle extinguisher charge needle is right there at the "recharge" line. But I'm not sure this Walmart special can be recharged.  Probably just as cheap to buy a new one.

Yea, it is cheaper to buy a new one. All of the ones I have come from ABC Fire Service Company and if I have to discharge one they will actually come by the house and exchange it for a full one and they are more affordable than you may think, but then how much cost can you put on the safety of your family and home? Just by having that service my home owners insurance gave me a 20% decrease in my homeowners insurance which off sets the service cost quite a bit.