What I came home to yesterday...

[Lady Legira]

After we had been shopping and other things.

My Sister (Bardmaiden), her boyfriend, our mother and I went out shopping together yesterday, fun was had and such essentials as food were acquired and this was all good. However when we arrived home it was pointed out there was a rather large crowd and a fire engine, police and ambulance parked outside. As soon as I saw the flat that backs onto mine, I hit panic.

It was gutted. The front room window was blown out from the heat of the fire, one window was on the ground and the other hanging off (it still is) and was blackened from the fire damage. The bedroom was damaged from what we could see but we were more concerned to see if ours was damaged in anyway. A fireman accompanied me up the stairs after I had bolted out of the car barely as mother had stopped. Thankfully all we had was a rather smokey smelling flat to contend with. It made the Local Paper .

So how was your day?

Took a picture of it as I walked out today. Hopefully it worked

[cashierbex]

Wow. Glad your stuff was ok. But your poor neighbor.

My dy was full of cleaning out some of my clothes and packaging some old jerseys to send to my mom that she won't let me give away. And I did some dishes. Other than that, it was a lazy day. Now to pick up one of my roomates from work and be even more lazy.

[Crossbow]

I'm really glad your place was ok. It's so easy for a fire like that to spread to connected flats.

Hopefully the smoke smell is just lingering a bit and not really damage, and if you got away with no water damage, even better!

[Lady Legira]

Hopefully the smoke smell is just lingering a bit and not really damage, and if you got away with no water damage, even better!

Seems to have mostly faded today and there was no water damage, though the flat below got badly hit (unsurprising really). Just rather a shock, needed a good cup of tea after that.

[Seraph]

Good lord, dear. I'm glad you and your place are alright.

[Kristev]

Yes, I'm glad nothing happened to your home.

But your poor neighbor.

[Seshat]

It would be wise to have an architect or an appropriate engineer check the soundness of the rest of the building (your flat, the flats beneath, etc).

Insurance is likely to pay for it - discuss it with your insurance agent or broker, even if what you, personally, have is renters/contents insurance. Worst case, they can tell you how to go about getting your landlord or the building's body corporate to have the inspection done.

That said:

Wow! So glad you weren't in there when it happened! And that you're alright, and your stuff is too.

[Dreamstalker]

I second the building inspection, especially if the flat below yours has any damage.

What a thing to come home to, I'm glad you're OK and it doesn't sound like anyone else was hurt.

[Lady Legira]

It would be wise to have an architect or an appropriate engineer check the soundness of the rest of the building (your flat, the flats beneath, etc).

I live in social housing so I expect the local authority has already checked and approved the soundness of the building. The flat that was burned out has been secured and the neighbour underneath has started the drying out process (water damage from the fire being put out). A suspect is being looked for regarding the fire. He was seen running from the scene with soot on his face.

Thankfully we live in solid brick housing (most are in the UK) so it makes it harder to cause damage to the structure in general. Maybe I should get some contents insurance though...

[Kristev]

It would be wise. For one thing, if that was an electrical fire that no one intentionally set. (Just as a possibility.) If it were, it could happen again at any time.