Current mood:

thankful

Something to be thankful for
Yesterday library_sexy and I were cleaning up the house in preparation for thanksgiving. I was cleaning up the guest room and changing the sheets when I noticed a flicker of light coming from beside the bed where it sits against the wall. I pulled the bed away from the wall and saw a rapidly growing patch of flame on the side of the bed. I yelled down to library_sexy for help and then after a second added "fire"

The platform and mattress are covered in a synthetic fabric that really goes up quickly especially since I had moved the bed away from the wall. I realized that in the time it would take to get the fire extinguisher the entire bed could easily be on fire. I grabbed a heavy shirt out of the laundry and used it to smother the fire. It took some doing but it did work.

What had happened was that an electrical cord, which was plugged into the wall by the side of the bed, had gotten pinched between the metal frame and the molding. It had worn through and shorted out, starting the fire.

If I hadn't noticed and walked away or if this happened at some other time, when we weren't home or when someone was sleeping in that bed, this could have been catastrophic. Luckily as it is we have only lost a set of sheets and there is a hole in the platform on the side that sits up against the wall.

Certainly something to be thankful for.