Fire!

"It'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight! Fire, fire, fire." - song lyric

I don't think most people have a true appreciation for fire. We watch it burning peacefully in a fireplace or under other controlled conditions and bask in its warmth.

But last month Californians were reminded that fire can also be a monster. We "know" fire is "hot" but ...?

“It was a firestorm,” Captain Ruda said. “There were 50-foot-length flames streaking across the mobile home park. Fire hoses were melting into the cement and concrete. That’s how hot it was.”

And while we think of the hot flames as dangerous, the real killer is smoke...

“The smoke was so bad, I had to cover my mouth with a wet towel when we left,” Ms. Mendez said in Spanish. “I didn’t want to breath it in and hurt my baby.”

And most of us never learn just how fast fire can move...

“People really need to understand that because of these winds this fire can be upon you in a moment’s notice.”

Emergency crew members got a demonstration of how dangerous the winds were when, in the middle of the night, a wall of flames surrounded the Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar. Media reports said hospital staff members had worked frantically to remove critically ill patients as smoke seeped into the ventilation systems and backup generators failed.

A great example of the speed at which fire can spread is a Fire Safety video of a dry Christmas tree burning. http://www.fire.gov/newsletter/summer2001/page_two.htm
Within four seconds flames are up to the ceiling. Within 45 seconds the room has "flashed over" and is a total loss.

Bottom Line
When I lost power the other night, it took time for me to mentally adjust to what had happened and to respond by finding candles, matches, etc. With a fire you don't have time. You need to move quickly and assertively and you don't get a second chance to save something. NEVER go back into a burning house because you forgot something.