Yesterday was the Worst Day of My Life

byHaroldLngfrd

556 followers

Updated 8 years ago

Yesteryday, was like any other day. I got up from bed after the wife and her Doberman headed off to work. I went down and made something to eat, let the dogs out to take care of their business and then headed back upstairs to my laptop and do some work.

Not realizing that in a matter of an hour or so, I will be in an extremely high state of horror. I began writing some engaging content regarding my love for my motorcycle and how I continue to have withdrawal symptoms because my bike being stored away in the US.

Suddenly I hear some rumbling down stairs and I assume that it's one of my dogs playing with a ball. I then decided to go and investigate what is exactly going on. So I start heading downstairs and begin seeing smoke billowing from the proceeding room.

I'm thinking this isn't good as I make my way to the kitchen to see that it's totally engulfed in flames. From the stove to the ceiling just burning away. I sat there in total shock wondering, how in the heck did this happen?

Standing there in my home business attire consisting of a t-shirt, gym shorts and flip-flops in total amazement and shock. But then my military instincts kicked in, quickly I grabbed the fire extinguisher in the adjacent room, pulled the pin and began squeezing the handle, aiming the nozzle at the base of the fire, sweeping from left to right.

I felt like I was literally in Hell's Kitchen as the heat from the fire melted my reading glasses right off my forehead causing me to swipe them downward scarring me in the process.

For weeks now, my wife and I have had problems with this blasted stove. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We've checked fuses and so on but couldn't pinpoint a problem. I'm a tinkerer and can usually understand how something works by taking it apart, but I never got around to checking out the stove.

So after I put out the majority of the fire, I began dealing with the embers with a full pitcher of water I grabbed from the fridge. As the fire died, the entire house was filled instantaneously with black toxic smoke and I needed air and fast. I hurried myself in the direction of where I thought our other outer door was located.

For starters, I could have easily went out the front door from the kitchen, but I've seen the movie, Backdraft and that sort of thing was not happening here. So I was heading to find the other front door get some fresh air and head back into this newly created hell hole to save my dogs.

First I had to find Frigg, she was the one downstairs the entire time with heavy exposure to the heat and smoke. All I could think about as I wandered in the darkness that she was either curled up on the couch or hidden in some corner of one of the rooms far from the fire.

The other thought was that she laid dead and wouldn't be able to fathom thought of having to explain to my wife what happened to her beloved little Frigg. Although my search was conducted frantically, I was covering as much space as I could without being able to see or breathe.

I called her name and I felt her body rub up against my hand, I grabbed her and ran out of the house. Then there were the other two, they were upstairs with me when all of this started. Lindsey was easy, she looked at me through the smoke from the top of the stairs. I called her name and she ran down the stairs and outside faster than I ever seen her run.

Last was Harley, I called out his name and I heard no movement. The smoke was still pretty thick but with the front door open my visibility was a bit better but the upstairs was still dark with smoke and as I topped the stairs I could him laying there waiting for me to come and get him.

I called him again and he ran to me immediately and followed me out of the house. Next I needed to call the fire department, but my iPhone was upstairs next to my computer. After retrieving it, I dialed 112, the emergency number, then tried calling my wife and then it hit me. All of what just transpired. It felt like an eternity but I'm sure it only lasted 10 minutes at the most.

I began to cry as I left a message on my wife's voicemail, my feelings overwhelmed me and I cried uncontrollably as my poor dogs seen me totally break down. They were concerned about me as they all made eye contact with me. I think in their minds they were being thankful that I got them out of a dangerous situation.

It took some time for the fire trucks to show up, but when they did, they were all dressed in their firemen gear with their Scott Air Packs donned, hoses in hand ready to fight a fire I've already put out. I wanted to laugh but I was still feeling shook up about what just happened.

When the ambulance showed up, they asked me a series of questions, while the fire department and the police waited their turn in line. After answering everyone's questions I put the dogs into my wife's car to keep them out of the way. I eventually was able to talk to my wife as they were taking me to the hospital for observation