BS: What five items would you save?

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 09:25 PM

If your house is on fire, do you actually think about rationing yourself to five things? Don't you just grab what's nearest and get out?! Hmm. Would have to take my flute though. and my dulcimer and as many photos as I could lay hands on at the time. It's hard! Hope house doesn't burn down... M

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 06:12 AM

Well...I thought about it...and thought about it...then panicked because there is so much stuff I'd be really upset to lose..(I wish I weren't such a 'things' person) then finally came up with:
1. My teddy (I'm glad someone else said that first!) who is now in the keeping of my daughter but is 49 years old and irreplaceable.
2. My mobile 'phone...couldn't do without instant communication to all my friends
3. My computer (or whatever bit of it has all the stuff I need on it)
4. My song books because they are a history of me as a folkie and singer
Then it starts to get difficult.......my books...but which ones? Couldn't take them all, there are too many. My microfiches.... Aaaagh! my diaries, which go back to the age of 10 and are the whole history of me (well not quite the WHOLE history, there are and were some things I don't put in!) Some of my clothes.....the 17th/18th century blanket chest......Aaagh! There's too much! Just hope it never happens!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 05:49 AM

hey blind drunk in blind river what about the remote ...you cant leave that behind.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Peace
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 01:20 AM

LOL to that (the stiff drink thing).

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 12:52 AM

Good advice Brucie.

Just make sure I'd run out with me drums, the wife and the three cats and my vintage bottle of baijiu with the deer penis in it as if that burst I would not have a stiff drink to recover on and it would add to the conflagration.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Peace
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 12:37 AM

Unless it was for a human, I wouldn't go back in without bunker gear and attack/protection lines. I am crazy, not stupid. No point getting killed saving physical things, the memories of which we store in our brains.

Fellow returned to a trailer to get his wallet with about $200 in it. We took his body out after we got the fire under control. He collapsed in the hallway and died, likely due to smoke inhalation. His wallet, which was near his bed, was fine. Not even charred.

Leave the re-entry to the guys and gals who have the fire suppression apparatus, gear and training. It really isn't usually for well-meaning amateurs, and few people really understand just how quickly fire spreads or how much toxin is in the air when a house burns. Get out and stay out. Period. Please.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,Blind DRunk in Blind River
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:54 PM

I would,like, save the beer eh? And...my heavy mettle CD's. And maybe the fridge so I could keep the beer cold.

But where would I plyg it in? Okya, maybe not the fridge.

Well, maybe cos I could plug it in at the naybor's place, eh?

Is that five itmens? No. Okay, well then I would save the dirty magazines too. And the TV. Flippin' nearly forgot the TV! Holy flip! I must be a few short of a 6 pack, eh?

But where would I plug it in?

Lwet's hope id don't happen!

- BDiBR

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: open mike
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 02:44 PM

well a few years ago there was a woman who died returning to her house to save her foofoo -- doggie. 5 firefighters were injured, some severly,
after removing her form the house to the safety of the fire engine in the driveway. she broke away from them to return to the house, and they
barely escaped with their lives, several of them taking shelter in a
fire shelter in her driveway. Fire shelters have room for ONE>..
they tried. the fire took a dozen or more other houses besides hers. but hers was the only fatality....and they
almost had her out safe, she would be alove today, no doubt, but for her attempt to save her little dog. sad.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: frogprince
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 02:33 PM

If I really stop and take this seriously, I'm going to get really depressed; there are too many old photos, too many of my own photos and drawings, too much music I wouldn't be able to replace on vinyl, tape, and cd; in realty, most of it would burn. I would have to try for my wallet for the sake of the credentials, for my Olympus OM4, For an envelope with the songs I have written myself (with what it takes me to work out an arrangement, I would never get some of them done again)The computer, a handful of CD's with images I put extensive work into. Seriously, you are reminding me that I can and should "back up" some of this and get it in a safe deposit or other outside place.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,Norton1
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:51 PM

The last house fire:

My guns went out the window barrel first (they can be cleaned)
My guitar went right after them


This was 1972 so maybe things would change - but I doubt it.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:46 PM

Add me to the dead-with-cats (and dog) list. Actually, I'd probably die trying to put the fire out myself, because I'm retarded. I almost managed to do that late last year.

So, I wasn't going to cheat and include collections of things like "my record collection: or "a big box filled with all of my favourite things," but I caved and did anyways. I'd take:

1. A small end-table-y-thing in my bedroom, where I keep photos, mementos, etc. Which I'd quickly stuff with a few more loose family mementos. God, I suck.
2. Oh, this is really pitiful: The ashes of two of my old cats that've died. What, like they're going to get more cremated? That's just stupid, but probably true.
3. A fistful of my favourite Jew's harps.
4. My fujara. 'Cause that fucker would burn for sure.
5. Tunafish and Clown Doll, the teddy bear and, uh, clown doll I got when I was born.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:39 PM

I didn't mention that I used to be a firefighter and I'd be doing my darndest [sp?] to put the fire out myself, and at least give them a fighting chance. You just have to teach the cats that "Stop Drop and Roll" applies once you're Out of the house, not to do it under a bed while it's still burning.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:17 PM

We're pathetic, aren't we Midchuck? I don't own my cats any more than I own my son. They are my friends and I would probably die trying to get them out.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Midchuck
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 01:04 PM

Since Stilly River Sage is perfectly correct about cats' behavior, and what one should do with respect to cats in a house fire, I would probably die in the fire trying to find my cats and get them out, so it wouldn't matter what possessions were saved.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Chris Green
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 12:32 PM

Actually I've had a bit of a think about this seriously and have come to the conclusion that nothing I possess is truly irreplacable. Not sure what that says about me! :)

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: JennyO
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 12:27 PM

I started a thread on this very subject a couple of years ago - in fact it was the first thread I ever started, and almost my first post on Mudcat.

BS: 5 Objects to take if house on fire?

Looking at the list I posted then, it would still be pretty much the same, except that I forgot to put things like car keys, wallet, money and cards on the list - but I always keep these things in a shoulder bag that goes everywhere with me anyway - so that one goes without saying.

I still haven't managed to train my cat to carry things though.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 11:43 AM

I forgot about the lifesize Shatner statue with the autographed picture of Bill. I would definitely save that first. Such things are priceless.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 11:25 AM

If living things don't count then I can honestly say I would save nothing but myself. If my wallet was on the way to the exit, I would grab it. But I was robbed several times years ago and learned that material objects really have no value compared to my being alive and healthy.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 10:05 AM

I have made a point of leaving small appliances unplugged when they're not being used, even though they have "off" switches. Hair dryers, crock pots, toasters, my bread machine (think of the mischief that could get up to all by itself if it had a glitch in the computer chip!), crock pot, electric tea kettle, stand mixer, etc. I used to leave my bread machine plugged in all of the time so I didn't have to reset the clock. But that's so much simpler than replacing the kitchen.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 08:59 AM

It's just my opinion, but...

The best thing to do would be to do all you can to prevent such a thing from occuring. For instance, even houses can have sprinkler systems. Keep a "defensible space" around your house if life in areas prone to wildfires. Use good sense (e.g., don't store gasoline in unapproved containers, get rid of oily rags, etc.). Keep your smoke detectors functional. And plan, plan, plan for the worst -- that way it probably won't happen.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 08:31 AM

A French art gallery possed the same sort of question as a competition "which works of art would you save?"

The winning entry was.......















The ones nearest the door.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,vinyl junkie
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 06:48 AM

My CDs
My vinyl records
My Art collection, collected from Mayfair, Penthouse, etc.
My CAR keys..coz I would drive over to my mothers where I keep the insurance policy
and..... my debit/credit cards.

By the time I had gotten my CDs and records out, the house will be a pile of cinders...and me with it!

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: open mike
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 05:20 AM

from people who have lost their homes to fire, their advice
was to keep photo negatives or discs in a safe deposit box.
I was asked recently, while away from home, during a
forest fire, what would i request my house sitters to
save...I could think of nothing except the canaries..
but the genealogy notebooks i have represent countless hours
of work of many people and would be very difficult to re-create.
Lucily i had most musical instruments wiht me at the time
so did not need to add them to the list...
as a fire fighter, i would most likely be
working on the fire and not at home to do
salvage at my own place if a fire swept thru this area.
the best way to prevent fire damage and destruction is
to have good clearance around your house, and that can
be done at any time to increase your house's survival.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: muppitz
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 05:20 AM

el_punkoid_nouveau, you're not the only one who has had that thought before, I keep changing my list!
I watched a kids programme when I was about 8, in which someone got trapped in a dormitory fire, I suppose that was the trigger!

Anyway:

1. First and foremost, my teddy, he is of the most sentimental value of everything I own, I would be inconsolable if anything happened to him.
2. Photo's, I have loads of them of friends and family, past and present
3. My computer's hard drive (As it contains a database of my cd/video/dvd/tape/collection, it would eliminate the need to take them, we are insured!)
4. All of my sheet music, I have been collecting stuff for over 10 years and I think we all know how hard it would be to build that up again, there's some stuff that you just can't be lucky enough to find for a second time!
5. My mobile, I have friends all over the country and it wouldn't be a simple case of 'popping round for a cuppa' to get their number again!

I hardly ever watch TV, and I would be glad of an excuse to claim for a new VCR, it's knackered, and since I have lost loads of weight recently, most of my clothes don't fit me now, so maybe this whole house fire thing isn't such.......naa, I'd have to decorate again!!!!!

Muppitz x

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST,Skipy
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:51 AM

Sorcha:- vanished like an old mahogany table, I said vanished not varnished Lord Percy! (you would need to have seen the TV prog. to understand that)

Skipy
p.s I know it was oak really.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:35 AM

My own safety first.
Save the house second.
My money and credit cards third.
Photos of the past fourth.
The rest can be replaced without anxiety of loss.
Best wishes.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:26 AM

My guitars and my missus... yea, that's 5.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Seaking
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:24 AM

Laptop Computer (All the photos are backed up on it)
My guitar and Kid's violins (is that one or three things?)
Car keys
Wallet
Mobile phone -I'd hate to lose everyone's telephone numbers (and it might come in useful for calling the Fire Service..!)

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 03:37 AM

BI...you and I agree again then! I haven't posted yet because I've been so busy trying to think of five items among everything in the house...and can't!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 12:54 AM

Only five? I couldn't. I'm such a sentimental fool, i'd just sit there and burn...Or i might just invest in some Asbestos...

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 09:58 PM

Oh, for heaven's sake. Okay, "items" leaves out living beings, right?

Okay.

1. The guitars.
2. Certain of the model airplanes.
3. The 2 wooden ship models.
4. The important documents.
5. The computer.

Now, that's really a lot more than 5 items, but it is 5 categories anyway.

Dianavan - they saved the TV? Omigod. The TV is the first thing I'd throw into the fire!

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 09:43 PM

Living where we do, we're actually working on a plan of "what to take if we must evacuate" (for a wildfire, for instance).

We plan to mark various things, such as the computers (you don't need the monitors, keyboard or mouse), as "primary takes." Now, some of these would seem silly to some people -- for instance, the pistols my wife's father carried during WW2 are on the "primary take" list. So are the family photos and the flag from my father's casket. We're going to get a safe deposit box for things like the insurance papers, deed, and so on (and that is REALLY the best way to keep things that are truly valuable, and not just of sentimental value).

One suggestion, if you can afford it: get about US $1,000 in travelers' checks and put them in the safe deposit box. That way you'll have money available if/when you REALLY need it.

Oh, yeah -- keep the car's gas (petrol) tank at least half full all the time.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Peace
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 09:29 PM

Darn good advice, SRS.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 06:02 PM

I hate to throw a wet blanket on the "family" issue, but for all that pets are part of the family, you're foolish if you start trying to find cats in a burning house. They're notorious for hiding at times when things are noisy and chaotic, and you'd be more likely to lose your own life trying to find them under beds or sofas or hiding under the clothes in the back closet. I love my cats too, but I won't let them endanger the human inhabitants of the house under such circumstances.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 05:21 PM

My four cats and my wallet unless Seamus was sleeping over than I would have to choose between Alice and the wallet.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Once Famous
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 04:03 PM

My vintage model train collection
All of my guitars
My wife's collection of antique Shelley china
Family photos that go back 90 or so years
my collection of vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:57 PM

Granted, I could get another fiddle, but it wouldn't be Mr's grandfathers......can I consider her a Family Member too? grin...

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: dianavan
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:52 PM

When my friend's house was destroyed by fire, her two teen-aged sons were at home. What did they save? The t.v.!!!!!!! She just shook her head and cried. All of the family photos were gone.

d

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Chris Green
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:37 PM

If my house was on fire there's only one thing I'd take out. The fire!

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:13 PM

And really, these sorts of threads are really nothing more than "please tell us all which of your possessions you value most".

It doesn't really tell us anything meaningful about the person. It is a narcissistic, shallow exercise in talking about one's self.

And since I'm the guest who posted above, please understand that I include myself on the list of shallow narcissists!

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:03 PM

People and pets. Nothing else that can't be replaced, regardless of sentimental value. I'm only sentimental about living things.

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: LilyFestre
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 03:00 PM

I'd want to take my:

1. Photos
2. Recordings
3. A bundle of letters
4. Fiddle
5. Raggedy Ann and Andy set

My husband would take his:

1. Fly tying supplies
2. Fly rod collection
3. Books
4. Guns
5. Guitar

Since we consider all our animals as part of the family, it's a given that they would be saved!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:51 PM

I assumed the animals were all included in Family members....

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Deckman
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:46 PM

"Apart from my family members" ... my two cats, my two martins, and my wallet! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:45 PM

Fiddle
Harp
Great Grans spinning wheel
Photo albums
The mahogany table my grandfather made

Subject: RE: BS: What five items would you save?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:37 PM

Funny thought you have while flying.

First thing to save is oneself. As with the safety talk at the start of your flight (presumably) see to your own oxygen before trying to help others. Otherwise you can become more of a liability than a help.

Items 3,4 & 5, get your research onto computer, likewise your image archive. That way it's less things to remember if the worst happens.

I say this as one who is so disorganised that I have no idea where I'd start. Probably save the fire extinguishers so the don't blow up in the extremes of temperature!

CHEERS

Nigel

Subject: BS: What five items would you save?
From: el_punkoid_nouveau
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 02:07 PM

So there I was, flying over the Atlantic - film finished, didn't want to go to sleep. And a sudden thought popped into my head -

Apart from the members of my family, if my house caught fire, what five things would I try to save?

And the thoughts that came to mind?

1.   My model railway rolling stock.
2.   My other model railway rolling stock! (Counts as two - they are different scales...)
3.   The box with all the research into my Great Grandfather (and one or two of his things...)
4.   The backups of my computer
5.   My photographic archive (including my Father's and Grandfather's photos).

Now, I hope this never gets put to the test. But if it happened to you, what would you want to save?