Good or bad luck - you decide!

[Hazell B]

My mate Belle's house burned down the other week, thanks to an electrical fault. It smoked and smouldered for several hours before flames appeared.
She was woken in the early hours by a passing bus driver, who'd spotted the flames and stopped his bus, then she and her husband were led to safety by the passengers.

She told me and finished the story with "we were lucky".

No, I'd say she was damned unlucky ... her house is totally gone :mark: For the price of a smoke alarm, all of £4 these days, she's lost her wedding photos, baby photos, clothes, furnature, insurance documents, etc. and, well, everything!


Yesterday she told me she'd spent the day with the bus driver while he collected a (TV show sponsored) medal from Noel Edmunds. Noel Edmunds!!!. She didn't finish that story with "we were lucy" :p :

Have you tested your smoke alarm?
Have you even got one?
Why aren't they a legal requirement (however hard to police) these days?

[Daniel]

My mate Belle's house burned down the other week, thanks to an electrical fault. It smoked and smouldered for several hours before flames appeared.
She was woken in the early hours by a passing bus driver, who'd spotted the flames and stopped his bus, then she and her husband were led to safety by the passengers.

She told me and finished the story with "we were lucky".

No, I'd say she was damned unlucky ... her house is totally gone :mark: For the price of a smoke alarm, all of £4 these days, she's lost her wedding photos, baby photos, clothes, furnature, insurance documents, etc. and, well, everything!


Yesterday she told me she'd spent the day with the bus driver while he collected a (TV show sponsored) medal from Noel Edmunds. Noel Edmunds!!!. She didn't finish that story with "we were lucy" :p :

Have you tested your smoke alarm?
Have you even got one?
Why aren't they a legal requirement (however hard to police) these days?

Definitely lucky! I just tested our fire alarm then :p Still working :)

[leopard]

If you have good belief, you will say "we're lucky" :)

[Dave B]

She was fortunate that the bus driver was passing, but I agree that a smoke alarm may well have prevented the situation in the first place.

Still, as you say, she's suffered enough. Meeting Noel (one step away from an Alan Partridge style breakdown) Edmunds is probably enough punishment for anybody.

[Donney]

She was lucky enough as not to die. So lucky yes!

[Drew]

I don't think my entire apartment building has any smoke alarm or anything, my flat sure as hell doesn't!

[turves]

I was reading about smoke alarms the other day. Apparently, in the UK at least, you can call the fire brigate (dont use 999 though!) and they will supply at least one for you FOC, come and look at the best location for it, and even fit it for you!

Coincidentally, I checked mine at the weekend!!!

[Les]

Definitely lucky! I just tested our fire alarm then :p Still working :)

you have only ONE!

I have alarms in every room (2 in the hall) except the kitchen and they are tested once a month.

The thing is I just realised the other week that front and back door are locked with keys kept in the kitchen! I must put a spare set upstairs just in case because double glazing is very difficult to break.

[MrJan]

I think that building regs for all new buildings mean that smoke detectors are mandatory

[Eki]

Have you tested your smoke alarm?
Have you even got one?
Why aren't they a legal requirement (however hard to police) these days?
Here a smoke alarm is required by the law, but I haven't tested it. I guess it should start beeping occasionally when the battery is low.

[Easy Drifter]

In Ont. Smoke alarms are required by law on every level of a house. Replacement of batteries (if not hard wired in) is recommended at the beginning and ending of Daylight Saving Time. They do beep when batteries are low. Hard wired have the disadvantage of not working when power is out and can be disabled by a fire before they go off.
Carbon Monoxide detectors are recommended. I have one.
Safety Experts and Fire Depts. are calling for the installation of sprinkler systems in all new contruction houses. Would add about $10,000 to price of average home.

[slinkster]

We live in rented accomodation so it IS a legal requirement that smoke alarms are fitted in rental properties, though it's up to us to test them. Ours get tested every time I'm cooking though so I'm pretty certain they work. :)

I'm glad your friend got out safely!

[Dave B]

I know that it's a condition of my home insurance that I have at least one working detector on each floor, but I would anyway.

It's also a handy guide to when Susy's steak is ready, unlike me she likes hers almost incinerated.

[allycat228]

Every new house built in the uk has smokr alarms that are run off the electric plus they have bat just incase the elec goes off

[Jag_Warrior]

I'd call it dumb luck.

Luck, in that she's alive. Dumb, in that she didn't have a smoke detector, whether required or not.

I have two carbon monoxide detectors (not required in my state) and four smoke detectors in my house. All are electric with battery backups.

[Hazell B]

I'd call it dumb luck.



You've exactly put it as I would have, if I'd thought a bit more before posting :up:

[Valve Bounce]

Have you tested your smoke alarm?
Have you even got one?
Why aren't they a legal requirement (however hard to police) these days?

Yes!! we have!!