I beg you all to PLEASE read this!

Ironbar · Jul 9, 2013

All those CERT classes I took. All those CERT classes I taught. I never thought in a hundred years that I'd ever have need of what I learned in those classes.

As I write this, it's been about an hour since it all started. I was working on my fence when I noticed a burning frying pan in my neighbors' driveway. I quickly wet a towel and draped it over the pan to put it out. I then ran to the front door of her house where I heard the smoke alarm going off. As I yelled for her, I heard rustling coming from upstairs, and then hear her yell, "Fire!"

I rushed into the kitchen to find her beating at flames coming from rubbish that was piled up on the floor. I got her out of the house, then quickly ran to my garage and grabbed the extinguisher. I ran into the kitchen, and knocked down the flames in one shot. We both got out again, and then inexplicably she went back in against my severe protest. She then yelled that the fire sprang up again.

SO in I went again, knocked down the flames again, and got her out of the house and told her to stay out. She called 911, and got TVFR on the way. And then she went back inside AGAIN! Ugh! She felt she had to turn off the stove.

Well, by this time TVFR is on scene, and they finally get her out and take care of the rest of the situation. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't been there to knock out the fire before the whole house was engulfed!

I am now going to use this opportunity to beg all of you who read this to PLEASE, buy fire extinguishers, preferably 5lb or larger. Keep one on every level your house has. Keep one in the kitchen for sure. And if you ever have to use your extinguisher, DON'T PUT IT AWAY AFTER USING IT!!!!!!!!! THE VALVE CAN BECOME PLUGGED AND NOT WORK AGAIN IF YOU NEED IT!!! Either discard it and buy a new one, or have it re-charged at a fire extinguisher company!! And finally, please watch this video!!

how to put out a grease fire safely - YouTube

Ironbar · Jul 9, 2013

And if any of you have the wherewithal, I would also urge you please get involved with your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). It's FREE training for all members of the community. I personally teach the CERT class for the City of Tigard, and one of the eight training sessions is on fire safety, which is where I learned how to put out small fires. (Leave the big ones to the pro's).

BDA.45 · Jul 9, 2013

My Hero!!! No seriously, I was in a house fire when I was younger, not cool!!! Good job, I commend you! :s0155:

I wish I would have known what to do at the time.

GOG · Jul 9, 2013

Well done sir.

SunTzu · Jul 9, 2013

i absolutely agree. i have an extinguisher in the garage, one in the kitchen and one beside my bed. training for a variety of scenarios is important. whether the threat is a home invasion or a fire; be prepared.

jbett98 · Jul 9, 2013

All my renters have one, and also tamper proof smoke detectors.
One day I found a spent extinguisher in the dumpster, I asked around, but nobody fessed up to using one.
I now mark the bottom with the apartment # so I can find out why it was used.

Sgt Nambu · Jul 9, 2013

Got one on every floor and in the garage. Kitchen and shop for sure!

Dunerunner · Jul 9, 2013

Great thread. Most have no clue what to do in the event of a fire.

Muddslinger12 · Jul 10, 2013

Wow talk about an unsung hero nice job that training has paid for itself now and to think you had no obligation to do anything but help get them out safe and call 911. Way to stay cool and save the day and their home, had you not been there they would be homeless tonight.

Will have to look into the Cert stuff here in the couve.

What a stubborn lady tho! I sure hope she said THANK YOU and maybe invited you to dinner LOL just kidding bout the dinner part unless you like your food WELL done lol

Ironbar · Jul 10, 2013

I think the reason she was so determined to go back in is that I discovered while inside the house that she and her spouse are hoarders. I mean hardcore, straight out of the TV show type hoarders.

I suspect that what happened is this: When she discovered the pan on fire (thank God the smoke detector was working), she grabbed the pan off the stove, splashing oil on her hands. This is how the 2nd degree burns on her hands occurred. While yanking the pan from the stove, oil escaped, splashing on the refuse that was all over the kitchen floor and of course ignited it.

Their house is a death trap as it is. You should have seen the stuff all over their kitchen. It is literally filled with things you and I would call garbage. I always thought she was a half bubble off plumb, now it's confirmed.

jbett98 · Jul 10, 2013

The extinguisher should be near an exit of the room it's located in.
That way you have the option of fighting the fire or retreating to safety and calling the fire department.

I recently had my insurance company make an inspection of my apartments, and they recommended installing battery backup powered emergency lighting in the top of the stairways.
If the power goes out, LED spot lights come on. I found them on Amazon.com for only $21.99 each.

Cougfan2 · Jul 10, 2013

Great job and good advice. I really need to replace my fire extinguisher in the Kitchen and get another one for upstairs. Thanks for the reminder.

In keeping with the spirit of this thread, I would also encourage anyone who hasn't had the training already to attend or get updated training on CPR.

I got training at a previous employer never thinking I would ever have to use it, but coming out of the Portland Sportsman's Show at the expo center several years ago I had just got off the bus at the overflow parking at Portland Meadows and watched a man just go down like a brick and start convulsing. His was suffering an apparent heart attack and once he stopped convulsing and I was able to determine his heart had stopped I started administering CPR. By the time an ambulance got there I had been doing CPR for probably 5 minutes although it felt like 1/2 an hour. To this day I don't know if the guy made it. I left once the paramedics took over, but I hope I may have given him a better chance.

If you haven't already, please take the time to learn CPR!

beavernation · Jul 10, 2013

Well done and sound advice!.....I just bought a pair of good sized ABC extinguishers last weekend at Costco. One I already mounted in my workshop and the other will go near the entrance door to the kitchen. You can never have too much training!.......

jsparks747 · Feb 25, 2017

#1 Tip: DON'T USE WATER!!!
Known that since I was 6 years old.

Mark W. · Feb 25, 2017

The neighbors are still all pissed at me for running over and putting a garden hose on the fire in another neighbors garage. I think the Silverton Fire Dept is a little pissed at me to for not letting the place go up.

They had 40 cu yards of garbage in plastic bags stuffed in the garage and around the Gas water heater which was the source of ignition. The house is so bad they need to mow their rain gutter (well the part that isn't hanging down)

The neighbors would have like to have the whole place burn down. The Silverton Fire Dept was not happy about having to go rent a Bobcat and haul those 40 yards of smoldering garbage bags out and loaded into 2) 20 yard dumpsters they had brought in.

Me I just thought house catches on fire put fire out. Second time I was first one on the scene of a house fire. Now they all look at me funny!

cmica · Feb 25, 2017

your first mistake a WET TOWEL

if it was in the driveway I'd have left it.

on the other hand glad you helped her.

clearconscience · Feb 26, 2017

Great job!

Alert neighbors save lives!

And good to post this for the lesson.

partsed · Feb 26, 2017

Friends had their house go up in flames while they were away. They were admitted hoarders who just couldn't throw anything away. And while they got a new house out of it, the mess that they had to go through-inventory, trying to remember what they had and what they paid for things I think cured them.

Gaucho Gringo · Feb 26, 2017

Great for you to be the good neighbor. I worked for years for companies that repaired fire damaged apartments & houses. One of them was a hoarders and it was a mess. I learned a lot about insurance coverage and changed mine to match so I would be totally covered. If you have an older home and don't have code upgrade coverage(not standard, extra cost) you could be spending tens of thousands of dollars out of you own pocket same way if you don't have contents replacement value coverage. Also plenty of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms in my house. Might even say it made me a little paranoid about fire. One house was burned because the owner left a teapot on and it boiled dry. We got the house all repaired and the people had moved back in. I was there doing the punch list and the people left to go shopping. Anyway I am working away and kept smelling something burning. I am racing all around the house trying to figure out what is was and finally located it in the kitchen. Yes, it was another teapot boiled dry which I quickly turned off. After I had calmed down a bit I got to thinking that some people never learn I guess.

Member 5605 · Feb 26, 2017

My Mother in Law is a severe hoarder. I have some of the only photos ever taken in their house two years ago. It's terrible. I fear for their safety and ability to escape if they ever have to do it.

People, don't hoard.