Morning Fire Drill!!!

[Wade A.]

I knew better. (Funny how most confessions start that way, huh?) I had just built up the morning fire, was having a nice cuppa and reading the paper, threatening the kids to get dressed for school, per usual. They like to warm their backsides as the put their clothes on...one of the great little joys of life. They always badger me to open up the door to let them really get a blast of heat. Most days I won't do that.....but this morning I did. The logs looked stable, and I was 2' away. They warmed up and moved away. And then, I had my fire tumble out onto the hearth. Two splits shattered on impact and rained coals on to the wood floor and the rug. HOLY CRAP!

They never saw dad move so fast. I was picking up embers and flicking them back in as fast as I could, as the living room filled up with smoke. I had two blazing splits layed out on the hearth and the smell of smoke was only slightly stronger than the smell of melting polyester. After all was accounted for, it is only minor property damage and nobody got burned. But still, I'm kicking myself.

Wish list for next year: A hearth rug and possibly a fire screen for the Jotul. Or, of course, I could just leave the door closed, like I know I should.

 

[pen]

pen

 

[oldspark]

I'm guessing since you posted this you want us to beat you up a little? :lol:

 

[begreen]

Dear Ms. Jones,

Please excuse John Boy for being tardy today. He was delayed by his dad trying a silly antic that led to him needing to put out a fire in the living room. I assure you this will not happen again.

Sincerely,
Plough Boy

 

[seeyal8r]

Geez. After reading this I sent my wife a msg to start looking around for a Hearth rug. We have a rug but its not flame resistant. I've had a few coals fall out but never a whole split.

Glad everyone is safe.

 

[Jags]

I'm guessing since you posted this you want us to beat you up a little? :lol:

butbutbut - how can we resist? :lol:

For the record, when I first bought my Quad, I got the screen. Returned it a couple of days later.

 

[begreen]

East-West loading in a shallow firebox is something I don't miss. A log would roll up against the glass at least a few times a season in our F400.

 

[mfglickman]

Oh my goodness I am glad that it happened after the kids had moved away!

 

[Hogwildz]

While a hearth rug will do a little better, it will still end in same result.
Extend the hearth and be done with it.
For me, reminds me of the simple little things like loading north/south, that makes life easier here.
Glad you didn't fare so bad. But at least the kids got to warm their butt's.

 

[Wade A.]

While a hearth rug will do a little better, it will still end in same result.
Extend the hearth and be done with it.
For me, reminds me of the simple little things like loading north/south, that makes life easier here.
Glad you didn't fare so bad. But at least the kids got to warm their butt's.

Wish that were an option. It wasn't when I built it, and it can't be now. Truly though, I could have had 4' of hearth in front of that and it would have been the same result. I was pretty amazed at how those suckas bounced out and blew apart on impact. In all my years of burning, I'd never had that happen.

My real reason for posting (aside from, yes, my need to be air my Presbyterian guilt and attract appropriate punishment) is to remind others of how it can go bad in a blink of an eye. It can. And it does.

 

[oldspark]

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My real reason for posting (aside from, yes, my need to be air my Presbyterian guilt and attract appropriate punishment) is to remind others of how it can go bad in a blink of an eye. It can. And it does.

Well we are getting our fair share of that lately with the cut knee and the Amish family blowing up their stove, we are playing with fire.

 

[Wade A.]

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Well we are getting our fair share of that lately with the cut knee and the Amish family blowing up their stove, we are playing with fire.

Say what?

 

[oldspark]

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Well we are getting our fair share of that lately with the cut knee and the Amish family blowing up their stove, we are playing with fire.

Say what? https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/91067/

 

[Wade A.]

Oh......missed that. Thanks for flagging it for me. Pretty damned tragic turn of events.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Thats scary man!! Glad your ok !