phoenixgirl
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2003
- Messages
- 3,390
I moved from an apartment to a condo on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I started a kitchen fire the first time I used the oven. Apparently it was simply using the oven that caused the fire as it was the wall behind the oven where the gas line was that caught fire.
It was really a whirlwind. I'd say it was scary, but I didn't really feel scared at the time, just frustrated that the fire was ruining all my hard work in moving in. By the time I realized how serious it was, my instincts had already taken over and I was running down the stairs.
At first it was just whispy grey smoke, so I turned the oven off. When that didn't help, I opened the backdoor and the balcony doors to let the smoke out. Then I realized that the smoke was turning black and thick, so I got out my store bought fire extinguisher and took it to the balcony to read the instructions (couldn't see in all the smoke). I couldn't get it to work, so I ran to the hall and got the community fire extinguisher. I sprayed it into the oven, but with all the smoke I couldn't tell that that wasn't where the fire was. Then I called 9-11 from the balcony and ran down the stairs as soon as they said they were coming.
Seven fire trucks came. I realized how serious it was when the firefighters ran back down the stairs to run a hose up, and when they came back down again for their axes. They ripped the oven out of the wall, chopped holes in the wall and ceiling, and busted out the kitchen window. I got in the ambulance to be checked for smoke inhalation, but despite how long I stayed in there with the thick, black smoke, I seem to be ok.
To make a long story short, the kitchen needs to be completely redone. I won't have a kitchen for at least two months. I can't stay there now since soot and smoke got on everything, even inside closed closets and cabinets on the other side of the apartment. Hopefully I can start sleeping there in a week or two again. I'm going to get some paper plates, a mini-refrigerator, and a microwave and live there college style.
The good news is that I have condo insurance, which was optional since the master policy covers structural damage. Both the master policy and my policy are with State Farm, though there is a fight over whose policy the structural damage will go on. Mine will pay to clean everything that can be cleaned and replace everything that can't. I guess that since I have to pay my $500 deductible either way, the association doesn't want to pay their $2500 one if it can all be done on mine. I only have $11k to redo the kitchen though, compared to their $7million. So we'll see. I hope a kitchen wouldn't cost more than $11,000, but they do have to gut all the drywall, cabinets, etc. and start over. The fire report said that it was caused by a "faulty oven and/or gasline," and both the oven and gasline are considered community property (I guess the oven because it is gas -- other appliances are considered my property), so I can't really see how they can say I should be liable, but we'll see.
Of course, something like this does put things in perspective. My harddrive died on Sunday, and I think I bitched and moaned more about that than I have about this. I'm just glad that I'm ok and that everything will be fixed in due time. I'm glad my fiance wasn't there at the time (though he did impressively beat the fire trucks there) because I think he would have stayed longer than I trying to fight it and might have gotten hurt. Stuff is just stuff, and you generally hold your kitchen things less dear than, say, your pictures or other personal items.
I have to say that State Farm has been doing a great job so far. They got the fire restoration people out there two hours after I filed the claim, and the clothes and linen cleaners came that afternoon to take my things away. The contractor came the next day (due to the fighting about whose policy to use) and has already started working. My agent came out to meet me and see the place, and they're going to give me an allowance for staying at my fiance's place (it's obviously not like inconveniencing friends to stay with him, but his place is super small and he has a roommate so it's tight). They will also reimburse me for every nonsalvagable item, including food.
So anyway, what I learned is a) my $147 insurance premium (which I mailed July 8th no less) was the best money I've spent, b) the smoke really gets thick faster than you would think, so don't risk your life just trying to save your stuff, and c) I'm glad to be alive and can't really complain. This is a fairly significant inconvenience, but in no way a tragedy.
It was really a whirlwind. I'd say it was scary, but I didn't really feel scared at the time, just frustrated that the fire was ruining all my hard work in moving in. By the time I realized how serious it was, my instincts had already taken over and I was running down the stairs.
At first it was just whispy grey smoke, so I turned the oven off. When that didn't help, I opened the backdoor and the balcony doors to let the smoke out. Then I realized that the smoke was turning black and thick, so I got out my store bought fire extinguisher and took it to the balcony to read the instructions (couldn't see in all the smoke). I couldn't get it to work, so I ran to the hall and got the community fire extinguisher. I sprayed it into the oven, but with all the smoke I couldn't tell that that wasn't where the fire was. Then I called 9-11 from the balcony and ran down the stairs as soon as they said they were coming.
Seven fire trucks came. I realized how serious it was when the firefighters ran back down the stairs to run a hose up, and when they came back down again for their axes. They ripped the oven out of the wall, chopped holes in the wall and ceiling, and busted out the kitchen window. I got in the ambulance to be checked for smoke inhalation, but despite how long I stayed in there with the thick, black smoke, I seem to be ok.
To make a long story short, the kitchen needs to be completely redone. I won't have a kitchen for at least two months. I can't stay there now since soot and smoke got on everything, even inside closed closets and cabinets on the other side of the apartment. Hopefully I can start sleeping there in a week or two again. I'm going to get some paper plates, a mini-refrigerator, and a microwave and live there college style.
The good news is that I have condo insurance, which was optional since the master policy covers structural damage. Both the master policy and my policy are with State Farm, though there is a fight over whose policy the structural damage will go on. Mine will pay to clean everything that can be cleaned and replace everything that can't. I guess that since I have to pay my $500 deductible either way, the association doesn't want to pay their $2500 one if it can all be done on mine. I only have $11k to redo the kitchen though, compared to their $7million. So we'll see. I hope a kitchen wouldn't cost more than $11,000, but they do have to gut all the drywall, cabinets, etc. and start over. The fire report said that it was caused by a "faulty oven and/or gasline," and both the oven and gasline are considered community property (I guess the oven because it is gas -- other appliances are considered my property), so I can't really see how they can say I should be liable, but we'll see.
Of course, something like this does put things in perspective. My harddrive died on Sunday, and I think I bitched and moaned more about that than I have about this. I'm just glad that I'm ok and that everything will be fixed in due time. I'm glad my fiance wasn't there at the time (though he did impressively beat the fire trucks there) because I think he would have stayed longer than I trying to fight it and might have gotten hurt. Stuff is just stuff, and you generally hold your kitchen things less dear than, say, your pictures or other personal items.
I have to say that State Farm has been doing a great job so far. They got the fire restoration people out there two hours after I filed the claim, and the clothes and linen cleaners came that afternoon to take my things away. The contractor came the next day (due to the fighting about whose policy to use) and has already started working. My agent came out to meet me and see the place, and they're going to give me an allowance for staying at my fiance's place (it's obviously not like inconveniencing friends to stay with him, but his place is super small and he has a roommate so it's tight). They will also reimburse me for every nonsalvagable item, including food.
So anyway, what I learned is a) my $147 insurance premium (which I mailed July 8th no less) was the best money I've spent, b) the smoke really gets thick faster than you would think, so don't risk your life just trying to save your stuff, and c) I'm glad to be alive and can't really complain. This is a fairly significant inconvenience, but in no way a tragedy.
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