It was soooooooo cold, even Jake took to bed!
During the day, we had an awful smell of smoldering wood, which got worse and worse! My neighbours have a wood burner and only burn wood and I wondered if somehow the smoke was coming through as we share chimneys. Sadly no.
By the afternoon it was so bad, we decided to shovel out the fire. Which involves basically using a shovel to scoop out the fire into the ashcan and carrying a red hot ashcan outside, praying to goodness the bottom doesn't drop out! Then raking out the rest so it goes out!
This appeared to make things better, and whilst it cooled we went through to the kitchen to eat our dinner!
After dinner I came back through and the lounge was full of smoke, the stove was cool to touch but the chimney board which blocks the chimney was red hot!
we called the fire brigade! They came as you can see, and pulled out the board and in one corner was a small pile of soot which was smouldering! They checked the whole of the chimney, up through the house with there 'thermal imaging camera' and found that to be fine. They then proceeded to sweep the chimney.
I am fanatical about 'fire safety' as I have two solid fuel appliances in the centre of my house and get the chimneys swept every year without fail.
Anyway they said it was very obvious that I have had the chimney swept. Tidied up and left.
They did a brilliant job and I thank them from the bottom of my heart as there was no way we could have dealt with it.
But..........
my lounge is covered in soot and cinders and stinks and to be honest I'm not sure where to begin! So I shall call my sweep and see if he can recommend someone to come and refit the flue and board. I will then phone the insurance company and see whether they can help with the costs of this and cleaning the carpet, curtains and suite. I will keep you posted!
I have been away visiting my mum, hence the lack of blog posts, but I put all the names in a hat
of everyone who entered my giveaway and the winner was......
Lottie!
These will be winging there way to you, once I can get to the post office!
7 comments:
I am sorry to hear that, Libby. We had a sooty house to deal with a while ago. We had anaglypta...and had to emulsion all the rooms as the soot clung to all the bumpy bits of the paper. The curtains had to be washed too and every surface in the house. I was aghast at all the places the soot managed to get into...I hope you get on ok, Libby. I tried to be philosophical, and look on it as the house getting an extra special Spring clean...otherwise I might have sat down and felt really scunnered. Ours happened due to the tumble drier's plastic hose falling onto the grill...and though we caught it immediately the smoke went everywhere...
Keep cuddling the kitties...their purring should help you keep calm :)
Dear Libby....what can I say, it would only happen to you. Thank goodness it did not go any further and you and yours are fine.
I do hope you get sorted out soon.....
Alls well that ends well. Thank goodness you discovered the problem before any structural damage occurred. I have a fear of fire, and for that reason we only have gas fires.
Sorry to learn there is so much mess for you to clean up though, bugger..!
I used to have 2 coal/wood fireplaces in my house but both have now been converted to natural gas fireplaces. Thank goodness you called the fire brigade and they got the fire out so fast. Imagine if it had been smouldering and burst into flames in the night, it doesn't bear thinking about. And it's easier to clean up the soot than to have to build a new house!!!!
Congrats to Lottie for winning the giveaway, I'm insanely envious!
Phew, what a relief it ended like it did, it could so easily have been much worse. Hopefully your insurance will foot the bill. I feel for you, having to clean all that mess up, poor Libby!
Congrats to Lottie!
BTW those pics of Jake cracked me up. He's fitting in very nicely now, isn't he?
yay, Lottie, the other amazing gardener in England!!
Oh, Libby, the fire thing would have scard the begeezus out of me. I'm so glad it ended as well as it did.
I read about your fire on a forum so won't repeat myself.
It is such a scare isn't it - but aren't our firemen lovely.
Thank you so very much for pulling me out of the hat - what a wonderful surprise.
No rush to the post office please. I walked to mine yesterday and slipped on black ice and crash landed.
Nothing broken thank goodness = just aches and pains. I wouldn't mind but I was wearing my very sensible 'grippy' flat shoes!
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