276. Heroes

This was the scene outside our house/ shop last night.  We were having a perfectly normal evening when at around 9:30pm my daughter and I noticed a strange smell.  We thought it may be an electrical kind of smell and checked the sockets in the living room where we were.  We found them to be OK but the smell was getting stronger.

I walked along the hall towards the kitchen and was totally shocked to see the shadows of flames dancing on the wall.  The dishwasher was on fire.

My other daughter was, unfortunately, in the shower but had just come out as the power had gone off.  Ewan had been working late in the shop and he also came through to see why the power was off.  I bundled the girls out of the house as quickly as possible whilst dialling 999, and Ewan ran off to get a fire extinguisher.

The fire fighters came - one engine from Inverbervie and another from Laurencekirk.  By the time they arrived Ewan had managed to get the fire out, but the house was filled with smoke.  Seeing the firefighters with breathing apparatus on through our kitchen window was a kind of surreal experience, and not one I ever want to repeat.

They were very efficient, friendly and caring.  Most are reserve firefighters, and one I was talking to told me he'd been watching telly in bed when the call came.  What a great bunch of people.

Please remember this story when you switch your appliances on - don't ever leave the house or go to bed with your dishwasher, washing machine or tumble drier on.  It's the kind of thing you think will never happen to you.  Our dishwasher has always worked perfectly... until it suddenly burst into flames.

Please take heed and tell everyone you know.

Today has been spent alternating between endless phone calls to insurance companies and endless cleaning.  Not quite what I'd intended for the last day of my week off - I had a facial booked!