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2012
It’s Actually Not That Great to See a Bunch of Firemen Together
My first day at work was good, but incredibly overwhelming and stressful. I was there until nearly seven, and went to bed at ten.
…And woke up a little after two, to the sound of running feet and crackling walkie talkies and orange flames outside my window and a terrible smell in my room. I got up and ran outside, grabbing a coat on the way. I went up the few stairs that take me out of my basement apartment and my street was in total chaos.
The flames I’d seen were actually sparks from the chainsaw firemen were using to break in to the apartment next to mine to make sure no one was inside.
The fire started in the basement, separated from me by one wall. The fireman who came in to inspect my place said I am lucky the walls are thick and made of brick.
My house reeks of campfire and ozone dust. I just blew my nose and soot came out (sorry, but true.)
First and most importantly–no one was home. Everyone who lives there is safe, thankfully.
Second, being woken out of deep slumber and rushing outside, disoriented, to find my street engulfed in flashing lights and uproar, gave me a full-on PTSD flashback to that awful night. It’s unseasonably warm tonight just like it was then. I think I even shoved my feet into the same Uggs on my way out. Standing on the outside steps talking to a neighbor, I suddenly got very dizzy and had to sit down. An hour later, my heart is still beating so hard I feel like I might throw up. Good thing I went to bed early, because there is no way I am getting back to sleep tonight. My head is pounding and the dust is making me wheeze anyway.
Third, guess which complete fucking moron disabled her smoke detectors after a smoky oven set them off months ago and never replaced them? What an incredibly stupid thing to do. Let this be your friendly reminder to check yours.
I am going to be a wreck tomorrow.
HOLY CRAP.
Yeah, I’ll bet it would be better to see the firemen AFTERward. When they were taking off all their sooty things.
Though perhaps not when they were blowing their sooty noses.
How terrifying! it’s good to hear that you’re okay. Also, I will be checking my smoke detectors.
omg, how terrifying–I’ve been in that same spot. Four years ago the house two doors down burned to the ground in 20 minutes at 2 am; we woke up with smoke in our bedroom and firemen knocking on the door. Last year we came home from vacation at 1 am, and at 5 am woke up to the smoke alarm blaring because the furnace was on fire. Also last year my MIL set the kitchen on fire, which I noticed when there was smoke drifting up through the floorboards in the playroom.
I now flip out at the smell of smoke. Of course where we live now there are at least two people on my block with potbellied stoves that they use all winter long; my street is like Edwardian fracking England, or Pittsburgh in 1910, with clouds of smoke swirling in the street. Which makes my house reek of smoke, and sends me into a panicked frenzy once a day, looking for what’s on fire.
I’m glad you are ok. I hope the ptsd doesn’t last too long, I know that feeling is terrifying.
I saw your post on my Twitter feed first thing when I woke up and thought OMG what a way to wake up! I immediately wondered if you would be able to take off from your new job because you must be exhausted. Heading to read about the bad thing now.
Glad you’re okay and hopefully no one was hurt. Like I tweeted to you, our apartment caught on fire one time and it was a terrifying experience. I just went to pieces when I saw that cute little fireman hacking away at the side of my apartment with his ax.
Oh no! So glad you’re OK.
oh wow, what a terrible night! glad you and everyone else are safe, and hope you make it thru day at work.
Thank God you’re OK! This was way too close for comfort! I wish I could leap through the internet and hug you, because I was hyperventilating reading this, and it didn’t even happen to me. Be safe tonight!
Well Crap! I’m glad that everyone is okay and you are as well. Even though it’s not nice to see a bunch o’ firemen together, it’s better than seeing a bunch o’ EMS guys…
I am just very glad that you are okay.