People Explain Which Items They Would Rescue First If Their House Was On Fire

Few things are as frightening as the prospect of burning to death in a fire. Many people live in fear of something like that happening.

Now suppose you wake up to find that your home is on fire. You’re terrified. What do you do? What do you grab, if anything at all?

Do you just try to get outside as quickly as possible? Or do you happen to have a plan in place?

People shared their stories with us after Redditor T3ermin8or asked the online community:

“If your house was about to burn down, what would you try and save first?”

“I truly had to think about this…”

“I truly had to think about this last night as the Colorado fires were just a few miles away. It was devastating looking around the house and realizing so much in your house doesn’t matter.” ~ BatmanandMe123

“We both went into robot mode…”

“We had to evacuate last night and it was the craziest feeling. Luckily our house is okay. We both went into robot mode just efficiently getting what we need, popping the dogs in the hatchback, and off we went.”

“We were in traffic on 287 when I realized that my wife and I forgot our winter coats, she was wearing slippers, and I’d left my wallet and every important document we have in my office. Glad I remembered the almond milk though…” ~ gregmaddux

“As time went on…”

“Retired Firefighter here. When I was a kid our house burned down. As time went on, it was the family photos we missed the most. I always grabbed photo albums when I saw them. The owners often cried when they realized the photos were saved.” ~ Skyist

“I guess I’m supposed to say…”

“I guess I’m supposed to say my children, but I’ve got a chocolate orange I’ve not started yet. So it’ll be a tough one.” ~ Good-Helicopter-9303

“You don’t have time…”

“This is gonna sound outrageous, but in a fire emergency, this will save your cats’ lives… Put the cat in a pillowcase. Carry them out that way. You don’t have time to get their crates, and you definitely don’t have time to fight with them about going in them.”

“Put the cat in a pillowcase, and you’ll be able to safely and quickly transport them to safety and hold them securely. If you carry them out in your arms, they may jump down and sprint away, or claw at you in fright.”

“But a cat in a pillowcase, no matter how angry and traumatized they might be, is staying in the pillowcase. If it’s a life or death, burning house emergency? Put your cat in your pillowcase.” ~ PotassiumArsenic

“Assuming my family…”

“Assuming my family and dogs are safe and my important documents are in the safe where they belong I have a couple guitars that have sentimental value to me. I’d grab those.” ~ GuntherPonz

“I have a bag of documents…”

“I have a bag of documents that are a pain in the ass to get. Birth certificate, taxes, diplomas. Thats an easy grab, once i have that, i grab my pets, and, if i have time, my box of MTG rares, including my Unlimited Dual Lands, which I’ll offload to offset the costs of recovery.” ~ WanderingGenesis

“In the hallway closet…”

“In the hallway closet there is a box containing all of my family’s photos. I would grab that and get it out as soon as possible. Any photos on the walls are copies.”

“If I had time the next thing would be my home server. It has a s**t load of important files and about 10 TB of movies and TV shows which would help pass time in the hotel or wherever after the fire.”

“I also have a bunch of ammo that’s not in a fireproof safe so I would want to get that out so it doesnt go off and hurt anyone. But the pictures are #1 priority. I plan on digitizing all of them but it’s a lot of work.” ~ immacannibal

“There’s really nothing sentimental…”

“My lungs. Instead of saving material items, I would much prefer to leave as quickly as possible to avoid exposure to the incredibly toxic smoke.”

“There’s really nothing sentimental in the apartment (all old photos have been backed up on a cloud service) and everything else is covered by insurance (video going through all the possessions is also on the cloud).”

“Sure it will be a burden to deal with insurance, but stuff is just stuff and is all replaceable. Other than that, I don’t know if it counts, but I do keep a set of pajamas and slippers on the window sill. It is placed here intentionally so that it can be grabbed in the event of an emergency.”

“If I’m sleeping (always naked), I would grab them on my way out. Doing so should hopefully spare my neighbors the immediate vomiting associated with seeing the grotesque sight of my naked body.” ~ SandwichFries

“We do our best…”

“Firefighter here. We do our best to conduct salvage operations during a structure fire when possible. We try to cover furniture with tarps and shove pictures inside of drawers and even save some to take out with us.”

“Your insurance can pay for the lost materialistic things but it can’t replace the only good photo you have of your loved one, and as a firefighter I do my best to prevent unnecessary damage from not only fire and smoke but water damage.” ~ Okfeeling9598

“Sometimes it feels like…”

“This has unfortunately happened to me twice in my life.”

“The first time it was in my 20s and my upstairs apartment neighbors burned the place down with a candle. I was home at the time and I went back in to grab my very valuable musical instruments. It wasn’t the safest thing to do, but I never really felt terribly in danger.”

“The second time I was/am in my 40s and an arsonist attacked one of my neighbors in my nice little quiet condominium complex at 3 a.m.. They never found the culprit. I nearly died as I slept right through all of the smoke alarms and woke up to a place on fire and full of smoke.”

“My neighbors were calling my phone over and over but it too didn’t wake me up. Fortunately for me and him, my cat was sitting right on the bed with me looking at me like, ‘Help?’ I wrapped him in a blanket off the bed and crawled my way out of the acrid smokefilled condo, touching doorknobs and hoping we both wouldn’t die.”

“Ugh, even typing it up makes me nervous. I now sleep with a smoke alarm attached to the headboard of my bed in an effort to wake me if it happens again.”

“No humans were hurt in the blaze, it burned down three families’ condos and several of my neighbor’s pets died. I live alone, so my cat was all I had to save at that point.”

“Sometimes it feels like I got struck by lightning twice. I can’t imagine the mathematical odds of having your place and stuff burn down twice.” ~ Reddit

Now that you’ve heard people’s suggestions, you hopefully feel a bit more prepared.

And if you’re not, it’s time to make a plan of some kind. Most importantly, there are things you can do to avoid fire in your home.

You can use surge protectors. You can unplug items that are not in use. Never leave flames unattended while you are cooking in your kitchen (where many fires start).

Just some things to think about… but fingers crossed that you never have to make the decision to flee your home!

These Border Collies Replant a Burned Chilean Forest

Herding dogs are smart and high energy.

When we first met ours at a rescue shelter, she was so excited she raced around the yard in circles like a cartoon Tasmanian devil.

That combination of energy and intelligence makes Border Collies the perfect breed for a very special and unexpected environmental task.

Meet Das, Olivia, and Summer:

They live in Chile, where in 2017, fores fires decimated the landscape.

TreeHugger.com described the fires in El Maule in stark terms:

The worst wildfire season in Chile’s history ravaged more than 1.4 million acres early in 2017, destroying nearly 1,500 homes and killing at least 11 people. More than a dozen countries sent fire-fighting specialists to help battle the dozens of destructive blazes.

According to Green Matters, the damage was estimated at $333 million, but the loss of trees and their impact on the environment as a whole is likely immeasurable.

It will take decades to regrow the forest land–but first, new trees must be planted.

Enter sisters Francisca and Constanza Torres and their three Border Collies:

Together, they train the dogs to race across the forest floor wearing backpacks full of native seeds, which they purchase with their own money.

As the sheepdogs run, the seeds spill from holes in their special doggy bags, and spread out where they can begin to take root and regrow the once-lush environment.

It may seem like work to humans, but for the dogs, it’s just a raucous good time.

In an email exchange with Mother Nature Network, Francisca explained:

“They reeeeeally love [it]!! It’s a country trip, where they can run as fast as they can and have a great time.”

And when their bags are empty, the dogs return to their owners for treats and cuddles, and a refill on the seeds.

It’s quite the sight, to see the dogs bounding through the scrub.

And it’s a good thing they have so much energy. According to Green Matters:

This system is also more efficient than having people spread the seeds manually. These speedy canines can race through a forest and cover up to 18 miles a day. Humans, on the other hand, can only cover a few miles each day. These pups can scatter over 20 pounds of seeds, depending on the terrain.

Johnny Appleseed, watch out!

They may not be able to cover the entire forest, but the work these very good girls are doing is already paying off.

The BBC even did a story about them:

It seriously blows my mind to think that two women and their gorgeous pups are changing the world all by themselves and in such a big way.

This Earth Day it makes me wonder, what more could I be doing? What about you? Did your heart just grow three sizes like mine did? Let us know in the comments.

The post These Border Collies Replant a Burned Chilean Forest appeared first on UberFacts.

Helicopters Are Dropping Vegetables for Animals That Have Survived the Tragic Australian Fires

The bushfires in Australia continue to burn large swaths of the country and kill millions of animals, but the Australian people haven’t given up hope yet. They’re still doing absolutely everything they can to help – not just for their fellow humans, but for the animals that have survived the devastating fires, as well.

Our hearts are aching. Aching for this beautiful country we are watching turn to ash before our eyes. For the people…

Posted by Animals Australia on Thursday, January 2, 2020

One effect of the fires is that, even if animals do survive, they often don’t have any access to food because their normal forage is all burnt up. The government of New South Wales has decided to take an innovative measure to assist their starving wildlife. ‘Operation Rock Wallaby’, which is led by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, is dropping literal tons of carrots and sweet potatoes from helicopters to help feed herbivorous animals struggling to survive in areas affected by the fires.

Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean said, “The wallabies typically survive the fire itself, but are then left stranded with limited natural food as the fire takes out the vegetation around their rocky habitat. The wallabies were already under stress from the ongoing drought, making survival challenging for the wallabies without assistance.”

The food drops are scheduled to continue until the natural habitats of these animals once again regain the moisture and nutrients to sustain life. So far, they have dropped nearly 5,000 pounds of food to the animals.

Please click on THIS LINK to learn about how you can help out during this terrible tragedy. It will only take you a minute, please get involved!

The post Helicopters Are Dropping Vegetables for Animals That Have Survived the Tragic Australian Fires appeared first on UberFacts.

Firefighters Wish You Knew These 10 Important Things

Firefighters have one of the toughest jobs on the planet – they put their lives on the line every single day to keep everyday citizens safe from a number of awful things that could happen.

So when they talk, we should pay attention. Period.

Here are 10 important things that firefighters think you need to know. Listen up…

1. It could happen to you.

House Fire Total Destruction in Unsafe Amsterdam New York 156 Guy Park Avenue

A lot of people think that fires won’t or can’t happen to them, and that can turn out to be a costly mistake. John V. Murray, the Chief Fire Safety Instructor for the Nassau County Firefighters Museum, said, “People have the mindset in many cases that fires will never happen to them. That can be a deadly assumption.”

2. If you don’t have one, you need one.

You must have a smoke detector in your home and/or business. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that three out of five fire deaths in homes could have been prevented if a working smoke detector had been in the house.

It’s suggested that you have a working smoke detector on every level, and inside and outside of each bedroom. Also, remember to replace your smoke detectors every ten years.

3. You can get new stuff.

(Re-Edit) Quint 94 11-17-11

If there’s a fire, please, please remember to leave your possessions behind. Material possessions are important, but they can be replaced. Your life and your safety? Well, that’s another issue…

4. Smoke is more deadly than fire.

Richard Stack, captain of the North Attleborough Fire Department in Massachusetts, said, “A single breath of toxic super-heated smoke could definitely cost you your life. Most victims of structural fires die from asphyxiation rather than coming into contact with flames.”

5. Never enter or go back into a blaze.

(Re-Edit) 3 Alarm Building Fire 11-18-11

Once you escape from a fire, never, ever go back inside. Let the fire department do their job. This mistake often ends up with people dying. And if people or pets are trapped inside, let the firefighters know. That’s their job.

6. The clock is ticking.

Experts say that you really only have one to two minutes to escape a fire. That is enough time to get out, but you need to remain as calm as possible while leaving the structure to make best use of the time.

7. Two important points.

House Fire

Never try to hide from a fire or try to fight a fire on your own. Hiding is a terrible idea: escape should be the only thing on your mind. And never try to fight the blaze yourself. Escape, call the fire department immediately, and then they’ll get there ASAP.

8. DO take care of kitchen fires when possible.

Many fires start in the kitchen, so reacting quickly to a small fire in the kitchen can be crucial. Always keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and remember, if a fire starts, PASS.

P – Pull the pin

A – Aim the nozzle toward the base of the fire

S – Squeeze the trigger

S – Sweep the nozzle from side to side

9. Make sure your address and house number is clearly visible.

Massive Condominium Complex Fire Prospect Heights Illinois 7-18-18  2681

This may seem inconsequential, but make sure your house number is easy to read on your house and your mailbox if it’s by the street. This will cut down on any confusion, which will in turn cut down the response time by firefighters and paramedics.

10. Close your doors!

Fires spread much faster based on how much oxygen they have, so keeping your doors closed while you sleep at night might end up saving your life one day. Fire professionals think it’s so important and such a good preventive measure that an organization has launched Close Your Door to educate the public.

Be safe out there and remember to follow these tips!

The post Firefighters Wish You Knew These 10 Important Things appeared first on UberFacts.

A Kid Got a Magnifying Glass for Christmas…and Promptly Set His Lawn on Fire

One minute you think you got your child a cool Christmas gift, and the next, the whole neighborhood is about to go up in flames.

That’s exactly what happened: a 12-year-old boy in Texas got a magnifying glass for Christmas – and then accidentally set his family’s lawn on fire. I can tell you, as a former 12-year-old boy, that about 99.99% of kids that age are going to use magnifying glasses to start some kind of fire (hopefully of the small variety that won’t spiral out of control.

The boy’s mother explained on Facebook,

“Christmas Day was memorable to say the least!🔥My twelve year old son Cayden, who is an avid reader, an honor student, and interested in science, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. (It’s like a basketball player asking for basketball shoes.) We thought it was for reading, but instead he tried to see if he could light a fire with it! We discovered that he and his two brothers went out on the driveway to see if they could burn a couple holes in some newspaper.

Everything was under control until the boys came running into the house telling us that a corner of the lawn was on fire and the Christmas lights were melting! Justin and I rushed outside to see the entire front lawn turning black! We grabbed buckets, turned on the hose and sprinklers, and I grabbed blankets to smother and trap it – before it could spread any more into the neighbors yard! What a sight to see – a bunch of people running around crazy trying to put a front lawn fire out while wearing matching Christmas jammies!

I want to reiterate this was an accident. It could have been worse but it wasn’t. So instead of a tragedy it will now be a Christmas to remember! 2019- The Christmas the lawn lit on fire. 🎄🔥🎄

Oh and never buy a magnifying glass for your son!”

Christmas Day was memorable to say the least!🔥My twelve year old son Cayden, who is an avid reader, an honor student,…

Posted by Nissa-Lynn Parson on Thursday, December 26, 2019

People on social media thought the whole incident was pretty darn hilarious.

Well, we’re glad no one was hurt and that they were able to get the blaze started by Cayden under control.

Note to self: don’t buy any young kids a magnifying glass anytime soon…

The post A Kid Got a Magnifying Glass for Christmas…and Promptly Set His Lawn on Fire appeared first on UberFacts.

These Tragic Photos Show the Apocalyptic Devastation of the Australian Bushfires

I visited Australia in 2001, and it truly is a remarkable country. It’s a beautiful place filled with friendly, hard-working, generous people, and weird animals that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

The devastating wildfires taking place in Australia are so enormous and have killed so many animals – scientists estimate nearly half a billion – that it is almost incomprehensible. Here are 15 moving photos to show you the hell on Earth that is occurring right now Down Under.

https://twitter.com/Sci_Phile/status/1213703245794693120/photo/1

Be sure to look through all the photos and scroll to the end of the article to find out how you can help!

1. Watching it burn.

2. Heroes.

This fire fighter (and all FF’s) saving the people, animals, and homes in Australia. from HumansBeingBros

3. All those poor animals.

4. Unbelievable.

5. These guys need a rest.

Exhausted firefighters in Australia from pics

6. World on fire.

Balmattum Hill is really glowing tonight, however not as much as all of our incredible & selfless emergency services. Thank you 🙏

Posted by Melissa Ericksen on Saturday, January 4, 2020

7. The numbers are staggering.

8. The eyes say a lot.

My uncle at the end of a 13 hour shift volunteering with NSW RFS from australia

9. The smoke is moving.

Caught the smoke as it was spreading over our suburb in Australia from pics

10. Hell opens up.

Hell opens up in Australia. Thoughts go out to our brave fire fighters. from pics

11. Scorched earth.

In Australia after a fire. from pics

12. All red.

No filters. Australia is red from wildfires. from pics

13. Raging inferno.

A picture one of the local postmen took from his front yard. This was in Forster. from australia

14. Looks like the Apocalypse.

This is a pyrocumulus cloud produced by smoke from the Australian bushfires. It’s 12km high. It produces its own thunderstorms, fire tornadoes and 100km/h winds. from WTF

15. No filter.

No filter. A motel in NSW Australia in middle of the day. from WTF

Click HERE to learn about how you can help out and organizations you can donate to help out during this terrible tragedy

The post These Tragic Photos Show the Apocalyptic Devastation of the Australian Bushfires appeared first on UberFacts.

This Dog Is in Charge of Finding Koalas That Have Survived Australia’s Bushfires

It’s devastating to watch scenes of scorched, singed, and confused koala bears as the bushfires continue to rage throughout Australia. The fires have destroyed land and homes in New South Wales and Queensland but have also tragically taken a huge toll on the koala population in the country.

Because koala habitat is being destroyed in such huge acreage in the blazes, teams are venturing into the burned areas to try to find and rescue koala bears.

One of the most important team members in these searches is a dog – who we can genuinely call a hero – named Bear.

Posted by Queensland Koala Crusaders on Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Bear is a koala detection dog who has been dispatched to Queensland to help find unfortunate little creatures that have been affected by the fires.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare said on its Facebook page,

“Our koala detection dog Bear is bringing a glimmer of hope for koalas suffering from Australia’s deadly bushfires—but these animals need more heroes to save them from this ongoing disaster. Our koala detection dog Bear is an integral part of these rescue efforts. He was recently deployed to southeast Queensland and one of the hardest-hit areas of New South Wales where the bushfires decimated local koala populations. Bear is one of the few detection dogs who can locate live koalas through the scent of their fur.”

Bear is now 6 years old, and he’s obviously found his calling in life.

You can help out by donating to this nonprofit fundraiser HERE.

Sadly, it seems that, in New South Wales at least, some koala populations are being pushed to the brink of extinction due to the fires.

The post This Dog Is in Charge of Finding Koalas That Have Survived Australia’s Bushfires appeared first on UberFacts.

20 Gorgeous Artist Tributes to the Iconic Notre Dame Cathedral

On April 15, 2019, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which dates back to the 12th century and holds a trove of priceless artifacts, caught on fire and was heavily damaged.

Within days, over $1 billion was pledged to rebuild the famous structure, but some artists felt it would be more meaningful to pitch in their own way.

Below are 20 moving tributes to the iconic cathedral.

1. Neighbors

2. Quasimodo is crying

3. Thank you, firefighters

4. That’s a good one

5. The world on his back

6. Away to safety

View this post on Instagram

#notredame #paris 😢

A post shared by ELENA B. (@ellenabi) on

7. Hope

8. Prayers

9. A sad moment

View this post on Instagram

The tower #notredame

A post shared by Tri Le (@trile23) on

10. His home

View this post on Instagram

#notredame ❤

A post shared by Edward Coppock (@coppockedward) on

11. They will rebuild

12. Gargoyles

13. Crying…

View this post on Instagram

💔 . . #notredame

A post shared by Cristina Correa Freile (@dibujosdecristina) on

14. Paris je t’aime

15. Rise again from the ashes

16. “Vivre”

17. Spirit of the Seine

18. Heartbroken

19. Beautiful painting

20. Awwww

Beautiful tributes…

The post 20 Gorgeous Artist Tributes to the Iconic Notre Dame Cathedral appeared first on UberFacts.