A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Nancy/Blooming's House Fire

Just to let you all know...

Nancy was sleeping in her second story bedroom late Sunday night while her son and his girlfriend were in his room watching a movie. They left the room to go downstairs to get some soda and when they opened the door to his room to go back in, there was an explosion of flames that set off the smoke alarms.

Nancy got up, pulled on jeans and her shoes, the kids tried to bring buckets of water upstairs while Nancy tried smothering it with a quilt. It was far too large of a fire already, so they ran out the door with the cell phone, trying to gather their many pets on the way.

Four fire departments arrived within minutes. Even so, the entire second story plus attic is completely gone. One dog, Duke the puppy, and also Teddy's chinchilla, died from smoke inhalation. The cats, the kitten and the other dog, Baron, were all rescued.

The Red Cross put them in a hotel for only two nights because so many of their resources are going to Katrina victims. They were also given vouchers to buy some clothes at K-Mart because they got out only with what they were wearing and Teddy didn't even have his shoes. Later, he was able to go back upstairs and retrieve Nancy's glasses which she really can't see without.

Because things are so difficult at the moment, one of the EMT women who is married to a local cop, offered to take Baron the german shepherd dog for Nancy. Neighbors are caring for the cats and kitten.

The owner is trying to rebuild. However, Nancy and the kids lost just about everything. The kids had just moved in with her, coming north from NC, and put all their belongings in the attic.... including his inheritances from his grandfather... many things never to be gotten again.

Yes, we are all relieved they are fine and thank God for Smoke Alarms, but still, such loss is hard to bear.

Please remember them all in your prayers. Nancy is my sister, her son's name is Ted, and his girlfriend is Christina. Thanks!

Merme

Oh, how awful! Definately saying an extra prayer for them. I'm glad they got out ok, but I know it's going to be difficult, having lost so many things, things that can't be replaced.

Please let her know she's in our thoughts.

Meg

Merme, I hope they had insurance. My brother just lost everything in a house fire less then 2 months ago. It is hard to understand what someone is going through emotionally at a time like that. As folks kept telling my SIL its only material things. But the fact is that there are things so percious to us all that cannot be replaced, a babys first curl, or the ribbons from their 3 daughters head from the hospital. My heart just broke over those loses. I will keep them in my prayers.

My brothers family has recovered greatly and it seems to have been a blessing in disguise, as they were on the verge of losing the house due to his wifes loss of work. Thanks to insurance they are much better off financially at this time. They are rebuilding much smaller to meet their needs instead of impress the neighbors. And my SIL will now be able to stay home and take care of my youngest neice who was just diagnosed with learning disabilities. I do believe that it was gods way of giving them the assistance they much needed.

Oh, this is awful.

They are certainly in my prayers, Merme.

Cindy

Oh, how sad for them............

How terrible that is, Merme. Please let her know that she is in my thoughts and prayers. I am so glad that she didn't get hurt physically...

Dianna

Nancy and her family are in my prayers also. such a bad thing to happen.
Jimmy

I will pass along your well wishes and prayers the next time Nancy calls me. Such kindness is rather a wonderful phenomena for courage when times get rough.

Thank you all so,
Merme

OMG! this is just terrible! it seems like everybody on the forum always has something bad happening to them :-( hope everything goes well for her. I'll be praying for her too

if she needs new glasses, tell her to contact a lions club, if she needs one, i can get a name and number for her. otherwise, she is in my prayers...

My goodness Merme, what horrible news. I am so sorry for your sister and her loss. They are all in my prayers and I hpe they can find somewhere to live very soon.

So sorry to hear this, Merme.
Please tell Nancy, Ted, and Christina that they are in my thoughts and I'm hoping that things improve for them very soon.

Catlover ~

The details of what actually started the fire are sketchy at this point. There was no smoking or candles lit; all the animals were in their cages and crates for the night. From what Nancy said it seemed as though something had been smoldering in the wall shared by her room and his.

With old homes like that, wiring can be a significant issue, as well as overloading an outlet. Those older outlets can't take the load we are used to putting on modern ones. I don't know if Ted had anything plugged in on that wall or not, or even if it was an outletted wall.

Which is why I would REALLY be reluctant to allow the electricity to be restored to the lower level before any inspection is done. If it was a problem with old wiring gone bad, let's not juice it up again quite yet, you know?

She is going to have to get uniforms and get back to work fast. As the administrative nurse (Director of Nurses), she can't be away from the facility for long or simply call out.

Jiffymouse ~ Thanks for the tip about the glasses! I will let her know when she calls again.

Getting a roof over their heads will be the first order of business because tonight is the last night at the hotel.

I'll keep you updated as I can.

Merme

I am so sorry to hear about this.

Please give her my prayers


G-Mom

so sorry - even if it is just material things so many of them contain memories that can't be replaced. I would be heart broken to lose photos that are irreplaceable.

Oh My Merme,
Add my prayers too, I feel so bad for her and the family-
Nana

What scary, heart-breaking experience. That is just terrible about losing all those family heirlooms. Tell Bloomin' that her and hers are in my prayers.
Nancy

Hi all ~

I just got off the phone with Nancy/Blooming...

She was finally able to get a little bit of sleep. After having been on her feet straight out for 40 some hours under very trying circumstances, the sleep did her well. She sounded much less "shocky" and faint on the phone just now.

The Red Cross agreed to give them one more night at the hotel.

The facility where she and Christina work took up a collection among the staff for immediate cash on hand expenses.

Many people have come forward with offers to help replace household goods but at this point they can't yet tell what, if anything, can be salvaged.

The owner has crews on site already doing the demolition that is required before the rebuild.

Nancy said that with the tops of every single wall still standing open to clear view, it will be easy for the electrical inspector to eyeball every inch of wiring in the walls before anything is closed off again.

She is so, so appreciative of all your prayers and well wishes.

It was also interesting to hear her talk about the rapid nature of fire in a home. She's never been through a house fire before and had made the same assumption that many people do.... that there would be TIME between the recognition of smoke and the burst of flames. Time to react, time to do necessary things, -- that there would just be time!

Not so. With her fire, as in many others, the eruption from smoke to small flame to conflagration occurs so rapidly it can be shocking. To go from noticing smoke to seeing gigantic fire spreading everywhere in a matter of seconds is something most people are not prepared for at all.

So... everyone, please heed our Mr. Bill's posts about your smoke alarms. Check those batteries and replace as needed. Nancy is convinced the alarms in their place did them all well, buying them those few additional moments to get up, grab which pets they could and get out before they were overcome.

And please, Ted is going to need extra prayers. He tried walking to the dog in the crate and the chinchilla in her cage but the smoke was too great. He tried crawling to them as well. He even tried laying on his tummy and wriggling Commando style to get to where they were and could not. As valiant as those efforts were, I think it is going to break his heart for a long time that he could not save every pet that relied on him so.

Merme

Oh, how absolutely terrible....Many prayers for Nancy and family...I couldn't imagine the feeling of loss when all of your property is destroyed like that.

Hi again everyone ~

It has been officially determined that the cause of the fire was faulty wiring in the wall leading to the single outlet. That outlet was dedicated to only running the window a/c unit. There apparently was a power surge which melted the wiring which smoldered inside the wall until Ted opened his bedroom door giving enough new air to the smoldering mess that the flames erupted in a widespread manner.

The electrical inspector is granting an emergency permit for three outlets to be certified for use on the lower level. However, each electrical line to each designated outlet will have to be inspected and cleared as safe before the power will be reinstated. All the other power lines on the lower level will remain disconnected from the power supply until the necessary upgrades can be made.

We are all so grateful that Ted & Christina hadn't fallen asleep while watching the movie AND that they decided to run downstairs to get sodas. If they'd gone to sleep with that fire smoldering in the wall between the bedrooms... I shudder to think of the consequences!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and best wishes,

Merme

Merme, are you saying that they will be able to go back to that house? I have been praying about the situation and I am hoping everything works out for the best for all. (And, yes, I am saying extra prayers for Ted. I can't imagine how he is feeling.)

Dianna

Yes, they will be able to return to the house eventually as only the second and third stories were lost but the lower level is intact.

Work crews are on site doing the necessary demolition to begin the rebuild and inspectors of every description are crawling all over the place as well.

Nancy, Ted, and Christina spent the day there again today trying to sort through the remaining belongings and assist with the huge clean up effort.

When I spoke with Ted tonight, he seemed fairly wracked with the trauma of it all, still trying to sort out his feelings of gratitude that it wasn't all so much worse yet acknowledging how bad it truly was. He is thinking that the full impact of what happened may not hit him for a while yet, until they are passed the million of detail tasks screaming for their attention. There has been no pause to take a break and reflect.

Also, he has a seminal idea for a special program that could be run as an auxillary to the fire department to assist victims right at the scene of a fire that I think is very good. He will probably be thinking of these things for a long time to come.

Merme

My thoughts and prayers are still with them

G-Mom