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Sheilaz

Do it today!

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Check your smoke alarms, buy one or an extra one, they are life savers!

 

By chance I saw an electrical fire start here. If I hadn't, the smoke alarms would have been the only thing to save our lives.

 

I'm not exaggerating. I wouldn't be here.

 

Last night I turned on the dishwasher before going to bed. I needed to go back to the kitchen, thank goodness, just in time to hear a bang and see black smoke coming from the machine.

 

I turned off the electricity and went to wake LSH and came back to see flames coming out. I unsuccessfully tried to put it out by smothering, and LSH hadn't appeared, he had answered me but not woken!

 

I went back to wake him properly and when we reached the kitchen the fire was taking hold. I said I'd call the fire brigade and then we'd get DD2, but LSH amazingly managed to blow out the fire! It was clearer to see where the initial flame was by then, I couldn't see where it was coming fromat the start.

 

The toxic smoke was frightening, and the flames had started onto the work surface, all just in a couple of minutes.

 

Please, please, tell everyone you know and do it today!

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That must have been so scary. Glad you are all well and hope the damage is not too bad.

 

My alarms are powered off the mains - good job too as one is placed on my landing ceiling. The trouble is it is about 15ft in the air over the stairwell so it feels like 25ft and barely in reach when you position the long ladders. Not sure why the builders put it in such an unreachable place. :wall:

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I am glad that you spotted the fire and are all OK.

 

I heard a fire officer on the radio a while back saying that dishwashers on overnight are quite a common cause of house fires. We usually put ours on at night, but never when we are out of the house. I figure that I have smoke alarms that would warn me and the convenience of doing it overnight is a balanced risk. I am having doubts now though :shock:

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Glad to hear you are ok Sheila,

 

Just checked ours, it's still working.

I bought a fire extinguisher too when we had the open fire put in. I am glad to say it has never been needed, but it is nice to know it is there in case of incidents such as yours.

 

I hope you didn't have too much smoke damage.

 

Kev.

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So glad you are okay. I spent some time as a patient in Stoke Mandeville burns unit many many years back (due to a bad scald) and saw some awful things as a result of fire injuries. We all assume it won't happen to us - the sales of smoke alarms will go up over the next few days I am sure.

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