Today is a day I’ll never forget. January 30th. The date is like a birthday, anniversary, milestone in life that is forever embedded in your brain but for my family this date isn’t a day we remember because of happy memories. For us it’s the day our house burnt down.
Five years out the day is viewed much differently then it was four years ago but it’s still a day that brought a long hard trying year on our family. It put us to the test and made us work stronger then ever to stay strong. We saw each other at our best and our worst in that first year. We were just married and had 2 kids one of which was only a baby still. We were living at my in-laws and all 4 of us shared a single room and 2 twin beds.
One year later we had rebuilt our home and moved back in. We came out stronger then ever. Not just in our relationship but all around. We also learned a whole new appreciation for life and things. I see posts all the time joking on facebook ‘If your house was on fire what three things would you grab?‘ and the people respond back with items like their Keurig, computer, iPad, etc and I just scratch my head because I know how replaceable those items actually are. We were incredibly lucky that day and no one but the family pet died. Had it happened at night we might not have been so lucky. If I could pick just three items I know they would be those items that aren’t replaceable even if you try. I have no photos from high school or from the first five years of Johnny’s life. My wedding dress is gone and so is the dresser I was given when my great-grandmother passed away. Those are the items I think about 5 years later that I wish I still had. Five years later though I’m able to cope. It still hurts but it no longer breaks me.
If you want to read my story of the day my house burnt down click here.
What would I like from you?
1. Smoke Detectors
I’d like for you today to check your smoke detectors. Make sure they are working and the batteries are good. We now have ones that run by both battery and are also electrical for back up purposes. We also have carbon monoxide detectors which are mandatory in all homes here in MA.
2. Does your family have a meeting spot? Do your kids even know what to do?
Take a minute to talk to your kids. What happens if you wake up in the middle of the night and the house is filled with smoke. If mommy & daddy couldn’t get to you what would you do? Where would you go. We’ve pointed out a spot where our children should go in this event. It’s out front in the open. Away from the road but away from the house.
3. Invest in a good safe
Make that two. Ask a parent if you can keep a small fire proof safe at their house with copies of everything you have in yours. Let them keep one with you. Store your social security cards, birth certificates, marriage license, etc. inside. Make photo copies for your spare safe. Include insurance policies as well. If this box is the only thing you walk away with it needs to have everything you need to start over.
4. Do you have a record of your belongings?
If your house was nothing but a pile of ashes could you prove what you owned? Your insurance won’t take your word for it. You need proof. Take a moment to walk around your house with a camcorder and video each room. Open closet doors, drawers, and make sure everything is shown. Make a copy or upload it to a private video on you tube. If you have a hard copy keep one in a fire proof safe and put a duplicate in your safe off your property as well.
5. Backup photos
If your computer melted like mine would it be okay or would you lose everything? Keep CD’s of all your photos in a safe. If you can make copies of the important ones. Upload all your photos to an online site like Shutterfly. They don’t charge you and if something was to happen to your originals you can always order new ones.
6. Insurance
Check what your policy ACTUALLY covers. Do you have enough? We didn’t. Are there loop holes or area’s that need attention. If you have a family lawyer have them take a look over your policy.
I know it’s overwhelming and sounds like a lot to do but start small and do one thing at a time. Don’t live your life like me thinking -it will never happen to me- because it can, and it did. If you follow these simple steps you’ll not only make your life that much easier afterwards but you’ll be thankful you did. Remember this isn’t just useful in the event of a fire but flood, theft, hurricane, etc.I truly hope your family never has to experience it but if you do I hope you’re prepared and your family stay safe.
About Jennifer
Thank you for posting this.
Some of my things I have copied and they are in a bank vault (my BFF is a manager). But I should look around more.
And I can imagine what the day might feel like to you today…..you’re in my thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your story; what a tragedy
I am so glad all of you got out! You’ve definitely given me food for thought.
Our house burnt down to the ground when I was in 7th grade. I know how you feel. Thanks for posting this.
I’m so glad you all were ok, but I’m sure the shock of losing everything was very stressful. Fire is very scary to me.
Thanks for the great tips. I always think I should go take a video of the house, but then I never do.
When I posted that, it wasn’t a joke, I was genuinely curious what people thought of as their most precious belongs. Yep, I said my Keurig and I stand by it. Sure, it’s replaceable but it’s one of the very few things I value in my life and would see an immediate need for if I was displaced. Our important documents are protected in a fire safe and our photographs are all digital on a backup hard-drive, another thing I would pull out of my house.
Great post. My 19 year old and his GF and puppy ran out of the burning home my FIL was renting to them on Friday the 13th this month. My son was left in boxers and socks. They had space heater too close to Puppy’s bed and bed was against couch. They had smoke alarm that did not go off. Another lesson to note…..kids are are still kids at 19. I now encourage all parents I know next time you visit your college child or child’s first place to CHECK their detectors. They were annoyed of the beepng it would do and took it down forgetting to put new battery in. The sound of crackling and his GF curiosity alerted them. We had to go get bank card and ID call employees to borrow work shirts….all he things to make him human again. Glad they are young…rebuy pants, boxers, socks, shoes, wallett, belt was a huge expense and with no renter’s insurance they lost everything. Renter’s insurance can be less than $15/month! The safe is what we went right out to buy w photos!
We are prepared for a tornado or storm, but not for fire. I have been scared to death for 10 years with no safety window in our basement and one child living in a non legal bedroom. In all our poor-dom, we finally have placed a window this fall. SO expensive but my peace of mind I THOUGHT would be restored. It’s not…because we are still ignorant about being PREPARED. I dont even know if our smoke detectors are in working order. That whole daylight savings time change, time to replace the batteries and such…went undone. We have never had a fire “drill” in 31 years of being a parent. We have 4 kids in our home and I know they would not know what to do. They do drills in school and learn some precautions but they would not know what to so in THIS house.
My brother lost his home and all contents in a tornado many years ago. I did learn then what photos mean to a person, or heirloom jewelry or even things our kids have made for us. I dont even know what kind of safe is SAFE for fire. Policy? We do know our home insurance is in check. But I guess what we need to REALLY ask is, is our LIFE insurance in check? For those of us too sure it would never happen to us, too ignorant to prepare our families because we are too lazy or too busy, and think maybe we are not able to do these things financially right now…well, I guess that just makes the life insurance more important.?Silly we are..
Will place this on high priority this week. And that includes not just the safety part, but to take pictures of our belongings for insurance. We have never done this.
Sorry, forgot to say how sorry I am that you had to go through this, but so happy you and your family are here and how it did give you strength and taught you some priority lessons. Somehow, we sure don’t learn things the easy way do we? It often takes a tragedy.
been there our house burn’t down right after christmas when my kids were little it was absolutley horrible, we lost everything to, but we had some great friends to rely on and alot of donations came in from the kids school. To this day however i cannot stand the smell of burning wood. it also gave me some perspective on material possessions i really don’t have to have alot anymore to make me happy.
That is so horrific.. I cant even handle when my car is down… let alone losing my house and all my thins in a fire. Luckily you all made it out but the memorabilia is gone…. I really need to get a safe, I would put all my girls photos in their along with spare car keys, phone numbers, insurance papers, birth certificates, ss cards, and any cash I may have… if any. I do need to get a plan together for my little girls and let them know what to do if a fire happened at night.. I would probably grab both of them and run out.
Thank you for posting this… some things normal people don’t think of, having not gone through such an event.
Thank you for the VERY important reminder to get my life in order!
i’m so sorry you suffered this tragedy! i realize how much i take for granted and how unprepared we are. i love the idea of back up [hotos- i’d be devastated if i lost those! thanks for the very important reminders.
annae07 at aol dot com