We recently received an email from a reader that has stayed with us ever since. Melanie’s experience is heartbreaking but also full of practical lessons. We’re sharing her story in the hope it helps others who may face a similar emergency and to remind those who haven’t had to prepare for such an event what steps they can take. Below is a photo Melanie sent with her message.
Here is her letter:
I’ve been following your blog for just over a year since making an offer on a short sale home in September 2009. It was our dream and forever home. We spent the first two months washing, priming, and painting every wall and ceiling. We replaced every hinge, doorknob, and light fixture, added window treatments, and installed hardwood floors on both main levels and the stairs. You name it — we most likely did it.
Sadly, on Thursday, January 6th, just before 6 a.m., I woke to the sound of two second-story windows shattering and bright lights. I peeked into our guest bedroom and saw flames beginning to enter; the smoke detectors sounded seconds later. My husband, our 2.5-year-old son, and I escaped with only the clothes on our backs. We had no shoes, socks, coats, or hats in subfreezing temperatures — only each other and the kindness of neighbors, friends, and family. The fire was quickly determined to be accidental, and we lost everything, including my car. Our 2.5-story, 2,000+ square foot home with an in-law suite burned to the ground very quickly; one estimate put it at 30–60 minutes. Within hours we also learned how much support exists among acquaintances and strangers in our community and beyond.
We are very lucky to have each other and to be alive, but our home and all the hard work and DIY projects we had completed vanished in an instant. We spent five hours documenting the structure of the house and then faced the grueling task of itemizing every personal belonging. From this experience we learned several things we wish we had done beforehand. I hope you’ll consider these suggestions for yourselves and share them with your readers:
- Subscribe to an online data backup service. My external backup drive was sitting right next to my laptop in my office and was lost in the fire.
- Keep passports and other irreplaceable documents in a safe deposit box or another secure offsite location.
- Photograph every room and update those photos as improvements are made. Store copies offsite or on a cloud service.
- Photograph expensive purchases and save receipts or online purchase records; keep hyperlinks or digital copies of warranties and appraisals.
- Document floor plans and structural details. Hire an architect (my dad helped us) or use a floor-planning tool to record each layout, precise wall and ceiling measurements, location of outlets and light switches, trim details, flooring types, and any unique structural features.
- Designate a consistent spot for phones and other essential items every night so you can grab them quickly in an emergency.
- Keep fire ladders accessible for second-floor bedrooms.
- Scan photos and receipts and store them offsite or in an online backup service.
- Don’t cut corners on homeowner’s insurance. Paying a bit more for adequate coverage can make a big difference when rebuilding or replacing belongings.
Thank you for reading this and for passing it along to your readers. — Melanie
Below is actual video of Melanie’s house. We can’t imagine what she has been through.
We also heard from a reader named Robin, whose house nearly burned down at 2 a.m. on a Saturday. Her family escaped safely, and their home should be livable again in about three months. Robin shared several lessons from her experience so others can learn from them:
- Not only obvious appliances cause fires. In Robin’s case the dishwasher malfunctioned and sparked a blaze. Her family had the habit of starting the dishwasher before bed, a habit that led to danger when it failed. Her experience is a reminder not to run appliances unattended overnight or when you’re away. She also recommends mailing warranty cards for electronics so you can be notified of defects or recalls.
- If your home has hard-wired detectors, install battery-powered smoke alarms as backups. Power can fail during a fire, and a secondary alarm increases the chance you’ll wake and escape. Check batteries twice a year — many people do this when changing clocks for daylight saving time. For households with children, consider a talking smoke alarm so children may respond to a familiar recorded voice; research suggests kids sometimes don’t respond to conventional alarms.
- Fires are disorienting, especially with smoke. Plan at least two escape routes from every occupied room, and if your home has multiple levels, ensure at least one exit does not depend on a single stairwell, because fire and smoke spread upward. Practice your escape plan until it’s automatic.
Robin’s tip about talking smoke alarms reminded us of another story: my sister Emily ran a fire drill with her children. After discussing the plan, staying low, and the possibility of heat and smoke, she counted down “Ready, set, go—go—go!” One child, Olivia, who was seven at the time, froze and began crying because the drill felt so frightening. That drill was a wake-up call; it showed us that practice and calm coaching can improve a child’s response. Emily was grateful she had the chance to talk Olivia through it and practice enough to improve her reaction.
We are deeply grateful to Melanie and Robin for sharing their stories and the practical tips they learned the hard way. We cannot imagine the loss and stress they experienced, but we are relieved their families were unharmed and heartened by the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, and the wider community. We send them our thanks and best wishes for recovery and safety, and we hope these lessons help others prepare before an emergency occurs.