Call 911!!

Thursday night right after 2 a.m. Chris decides he will stoke the fire, before he comes to bed. While stoking the fire he hears a popping sound under the house. Weird.....Then he notices little puffs of smoke coming up behind the mantle. He comes and wakes me up to tell me the house is on fire. I come out and see the puffs of smoke, and I say I will call 911. He starts running through the house yelling for the kids to wake up and go outside 'The House Is On FIRE!!'. I am trying to put on my robe, and slippers while I am calling 911. This takes less then 60 seconds. We come out to the living room and the wall was on fire. Yes people there actually flames burning, and crawling up the wall above the mantle. Here is a picture of what was burning.



The kids ran outside. Chris and I filled pots, and large bowls up to try and put the firey wall out. We seemed to have it under control. This took maybe 60 to 120 seconds. Chris says 'I'm going out to get the hose'. He runs out the door, and runs back in and says 'The roof is on fire'....no way...I run out with the large pot of water in my hands....and there it was THE ROOF WAS ON FIRE!! We tried to throw the water up onto the roof, but it was just to high. However, that didn't stop us from trying 3 more times. This is a picture of where the roof was on fire.....
The police show up at that time, and tell us we have to get out of the house. We can't stay here. We have to stop trying......I am in the kitchen, I look around at my house thinking this may be the last time I see these rooms....I have a few seconds what do I take. My most important things are standing outside on the street....what's left?....I see my scrapbook, and say no....I see my laptop, and say no....I see my purse, walk to it, pick it up, and walk out....I have to tell you this is the strangest feeling I have ever had in my whole life, and as I write this I feel it all over again....

We are now all out on the street.....what are we suppose to do, stand back, and watch it burn...yes that's what you do....

The neighbor Nelda took the kids to her house. Another neighbor named Wink came up to see if Chris and I were alright. That's when she realized he had no shoes on, and his socks were wet. She took her slippers off and gave them to him. He said I can't put those on my socks are wet....she insisted he put them on....very nice.....our other neighbor turned a little stove on at his porch where we could warm up and watch the house....

When all was clear they let Chris and I come back in......


The fireman was explaining how the fire went up the wall, and into the attic. I look at the floor and see my netflex return envelopes all around mixed in with the plaster from the ceiling. I say 'I guess my netflex movies are under there somewhere?'....another fireman says 'no mamam I saw them on the floor I picked them up and put them on your kitchen table, I also moved your snowmen over here by the wall'....'But we couldn't get the T.V. down so I'm sure it will still work'...
If you ever wondered how firefighters find their way around your house....don't worry, they will make holes if they have to.....

This is up in the attic where the roof was on fire............

This is outside looking in through the chimney...While we were standing in the living room, the firemen realized that underneath the house where we were standing was on fire. They had to use a chainsaw to cut the floor to get to it....their chainsaw was dull, so Chris gave them his to use....

See how from outside you can see in....

I had a few really crazy thoughts during this whole thing that I want to share with you. As I was throwing the pots of water on the firey wall I thought 'Where is my camera'....just for a second....

What made us think standing on the ground that we could throw water as high as the house?

Lynsey called her Mom and she came with Kelsea. They got together some stuff for the kids, and took them out to Pat's house. The girls have been with their Mom all weekend, and the younger kids have been with Amanda....

Before the kids left with Debi I kissed each one. Bethany wanted to know what burned up in fire, while Noah cried. What does a parent say to their kids at that moment?.....I don't know but here is what I said......Bethany are you alive? she said yes...I said Am I alive? she said yes....I said Are we all safe now? she said yes.....I said we can go buy the other stuff, but we can replace each other.....

Chris, and I wanted to stay at the house. We worked on getting the living room closed off until we can get everyone to come look at it and start working on it.....I'm sure it will be a long process.

We have had alot of phone calls, emails, facebook comments, visits, ect....We could never thank everyone enough for being so supportive....

I will write another post about this later.....I have some other thoughts I need to get in order, but I know everyone wants to see the photos, and read the post....