Around 2am this morning I woke up to find my house filled with smoke.
I immediately went into my son’s room to make sure he was okay. He saw the smoke and was firing questions so fast I could barely get an answer out before another was on its way. I told him not to turn on any lights on our way out as I wasn’t sure if there was gas leak in addition to the smoke that thickened the air.
I nervously got him and Harley out of harm’s way. Once I knew the two of them were safe I discovered my furnace had carried the smoke throughout the ventilation system when a mechanism inside of it had failed and burned.
I went to my carbon monoxide detector to make sure it was working properly (it was) along with my smoke detectors. I was nervous there may be harmful levels of carbon monoxide but everything turned out okay. I am so grateful we are all safe and the situation was caught early enough so it didn’t result in something even more serious.
What I was going to post today will be sidelined for a bit while I get my furnace repaired and house cleaned back up, but I wanted to take a moment to encourage all of you to be sure you not only have properly working smoke alarms, but carbon monoxide detectors as well to keep you and your loved ones safe.
I taught chemical safety and fire prevention classes for years and would always say the same thing to my attendees. I would always encourage them to stop on the way home that night to purchase the detectors if they didn’t already have them.
And today, I’m asking you to do the same. Furnaces, water heaters, wiring, appliances and such can malfunction and have devastating outcomes. Please make sure everything is in working order in your home and that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and properly working.
Last night was really a scary experience and I wanted to share it as a friendly reminder of the importance of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Here’s a link to the National Fire Protection Association for some free safety resources for you and your family.
http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information
So I guess today’s post is a Public Service Announcement! Be safe everyone!
love, b
