The Fire

I was thinking about January 1981 the other night. January 1981 was when our house burned. I was 6 years old and in 1st Grade. My parents hosted a Blue Grass Jam Session that night, which was common for them to do...my Dad still LOVES blue grass music. Anyway, they heated the basement and the guys played their music down there. My Dad fell asleep down in the basement on the couch after everyone left. My sister and I saw this an opportunity to get to sleep with Mom in her bed since dad was down stairs.

I really don't remember alot about that night 30 years ago...but some things I do. I remember my mom waking up and saying the kitchen is falling in! We went out through the porch area...I remember my mom grabbing a pair of old coveralls off the porch. I also remember Mom rushing to get her purse off the dining room table and I remember saying "get my book bag Mom." She did. For a long time the library book that I had home with me that weekend, was still on the shelf at the school library with a clear smoke line on it...I wonder if they still have it?

Mom went to the basement and yelled for Dad, he did awake and was able to get out, but not without his eyes having lots of smoke and having to wear patches for a couple days afterward. No one was hurt, thank God! I remember we went to Ben and Margie Hemrich's home to call the fire dept...there was no 911 back then. I also remember asking Dad, are we gonna build a new house, where will we live? I imagine he was thinking, geesh, shut up already! Ha!...actually probably wondering the same things though.
Then mom took us to another neighbors house, Jim and Sue Hazel..they were wonderful. Their son, Jerry let me wear his FFA jacket, I thought that was so cool!...ok so maybe I remember more than I thought I did.

We were able to get ALL of our baby pictures out...some of the firemen happened to be my uncles. My uncle Donny, who is now deceased, and my uncle Jerome. Some of the baby pictures had smoke damage, but they were saved none the less.

Long story a little short...the house was a total loss..everything was destroyed. It was deemed to be an electrical fire. I guess the electrical wiring in the house was very old. The house was torn down, but kept the basement as the foundation was ok. Mom and Dad moved a modular home on top of the basement, where they still live today.

I'm glad no one was hurt that awful night. I wouldn't wish an experience like that on anyone.

I have told my husband that if we ever have a house fire that after everybody is out safe, that the next thing I would want is the boys' pictures, only if they could be gotten to without getting hurt. I keep as many as I can in a fire safe, so hopefully the would be ok.

I don't think I've thought about the fire in that much detail for a very long time.