Well best laid plans do go astray. When I moved into my new home (apt) on Jan 8th, I didn't plan to ever move. What a short lived thought that was. On Jan 30th a fire started outside my back door (origin still unknown - and for all intent and purpose probably will never be known). Luckily I was home, and heard a noise and went to investigate. When I opened the back door as there were no windows on that wall, found flames leaping across it and as tall as the door. Quickly shut it, flames started to enter through the crack at the top of the door, so rushed to the sink with several large glasses of water threw there to wet the wood. Then ran and called 911. The fire department responded quickly although to me it seemed like an eternity sitting there waiting outside my apartment and watching the smoke billowing.
All in all what I thought was a total disaster destroying everything I owned turned out to not be so devastating. The hot water heater valve blew due to the pipes all being in the attic and the fire heating them. Which caused a secondary problem - flooding. But then the floors were not totally level so the water didn't get in all the rooms. (one time that I was pleased with unlevel floors). That day my youngest daughter helped me repack the wet boxes into dry ones, mop up the water, and get furniture up out of the wet. Then Sat and Sun she with the help of oldest son, son-in-law pulled other boxes I hadn't unpacked for me to repack into new boxes all the same size for easier storage.
By the following Wed with the help of my children (except oldest daughter who was in Thailand) I managed to get everything out and in storage, then went to stay with a granddaughter.
Sat I checked the apartment, the roof has been replaced, the damaged wall is still covered with plywood - not repaired and they were working inside as the weather was not good for working outside. It had been raining most of last week. I know the insurance agent told owners they would need ro replace kitchen cabinets in my side (it is a duplex), maybe replace some sheetrock on the walls if they had gotten wet, repaint entire apartment, replace all flooring and light fixtures. They had to repaint the inside of the other unit and replace all flooring. There was only smoke damage there, and maybe some water from the water leak on my side.
I am very fortunate I didn't get hurt, no one else was in the apartments, and NO ONE got hurt. I didn't loose anything of value or of sentimental value. Yes I lost a few things that were in the little storage room off the kitchen between it and the back door - where the fire damage was contained. But the things back there likes boxes of fat quarters were wet but not damaged. I brought them to my daughters, washed and dried them and they are fine.
The 3 hours from the time I saw the flames until the fire department said the fire was out and I could go back inside was an eternity and throughout this time I expected I'd loose everything. I was so shocked and totally thankful that I had not.
