My sister's new house burned down last night.

She, and my other sister who was spending this week with her, both got out OK. With about 30-seconds to spare.

It was a new-construction house in Point Clear, Alabama (Mobile Bay) that my sister bought in February. She moved in a month ago.

She had just retired from her job in DC after 30 years and was looking forward to the slow life on the east shore of Mobile Bay.

My other sister, a school teacher on spring break, was spending the week down there. She is the one who heard the smoke alarm and got my sister, dazed and in shock, out of the smoke and flames.

They think it was the gas logs. She had them worked on three times last week. On Friday they guaranteed them good-to-go, and she questioned that. Saturday night was cool-ish and the girls wanted to cook in, so they fired up the gas logs. After a few hours, they turned the fire off and went to bed. The smoke alarms saved their asses.

Couple of ironies working here (as they usually do). First, my dad's boyhood home in Auburn, Alabama burned to the ground while gawkers blocked access by firefighters. He and his nine siblings and parents watched the house burn from the sidewalk (it was where the downtown Catholic Church is now, for those who know Auburn). The second irony is that it was "Spring Ahead" and "Check Your Smoke-Alarm" night. Dear sister: that doesn't mean test by fire!

We are a lucky family today. Could have been a double funeral. Know what I mean, Vern?

I'm glad they're both OK though.

But it was all insured. Still frightening though. They were so close to not making it out. Man, I hate fires! Especially living in the wilds as I do.

thats not too far from here, on edit, i could bring some pizza or something

I am back in my mountain house in western NC tonight (spent last night with Dr. DemoTex in the Greenville, SC, condo). My sisters went to a friends condo at Gulf Shores.

BTW: Pizza sounds great! Wish there was a way I could get delivery way out here in the wilds.

if she's ever in p'cola give me a holla

You guys were so lucky. Do something nice for your sis this week. Make sure she knows you love her and are glad she's your sister. I lost my sister a few years back and wish I could hug her tonight. You were so lucky.
Duckie

At least your two sisters are still with us. They can always rebuild, at least they have the chance to do that.

Give them my best.:hug:

Me and my friends went trick-or-treating, but we were in like ninth grade or something, way too old to be doing it, but hey it's free candy. I can't remember, but I don't think we even bothered with costumes. Anyways, we made a deal that if we rang a bell and the person handing out candy came to the door in a costume or a mask, we'd all act like we were really scared and yell and run away. Well as it turned out, not many people had masks on, but someone started walking down the hall with a cardboard Ernest mask, and it was like that same exact picture you have in your signature! We were like "AAAAAAAAH!" and ran away, and whoever it was looked out the door while we were running like what's wrong with them.

The poster has a serious event in his life and your talking about Halloween costumes.

The poster is showing a sense of humor and you are being board nanny.

Sorry. Even in a serious post, my Ernest P. Worrell icon is signal that it is fair game for humor. My sisters and I are laughing tonight. Because they are alive and so am I after 250 missions on the trail in Laos in 70/71. But thank you for defending my family's honor. We will become friends over time. Just realize that the others are right, too.

Mac

You can laugh at first and then it hits you a few months down the road that everything is gone. :grouphug:

I didn't ask about jewelry, china, etc. My wife, Dr. DemoTex just did. All gone. Still, everone is amazingly OK!

:grouphug:

Birthday: June 15, 1949
Birth Place: Lexington, Kentucky
Birth Name: James Albert Varney, Jr
Date of death: February 10, 2000
Cause of death: Lung Cancer

I am happy that they escaped all right and hope that the house was well insured. Even so, it is a difficult thin to have to rebuild.

My father's house as a kid had a fire in it also....not down to the ground but many of the old family photos and treasures were destroyed in it. As a result, I have never seen a photo of the great-grandmother whom I am supposed to resemble very closely.

blaze?

There was big fire damage, big smoke damage, and big water damage from the great firefighters. She bonded with them at 4 am this morning!

I am glad that they made it out alright, but it sucks that your sister lost her house and probably most of her stuff. Be there for her.

The builder should have insurance.

but what an enormous relief that they are ok. Oh man, I can't imagine how scared they must have been!

I'll just repeat... I'm SO glad they are alive to tell about it.

Give them hugs from DU, when you get a chance. :hug:

or at least said it in front of witnesses.

Glad they got out in time.

But very happy that all your relatives made it out safely.

Sonia

good luck with rebuilding and all. Mobile Bay is so beautiful and placid, most of the time anyway.