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I don't find it odd at all that they posted here! People don't want to make unnecessary 911 calls! I posted on C-D on my local (Charlotte) forum once asking if I should call 911 or 311, b/c we had been having a LOT of local publicity about people improperly calling 911 and tying up emergency lines.
In addition, I returned home after being away from my house for days, and I kept smelling smoke in my house and couldn't track down where it was coming from. I didn't want to call the Fire Dept when I couldn't even identify what -- if anything -- was really on fire (or smouldering) in my house. I walked outside and called 2 neighbors - as we have had situations before where there was something in the neighborhood burning and it smelled like it was inside our homes. Also, the city has done some sort of "leak check" on our water pipes in the past, where they pumped SMOKE into homes (don't ask me - I don't understand the process) . . . so I wanted to make sure that something like that hadn't occurred.
After checking with neighbors (no such smoke smell in their houses) and finding nothing outside, I decided this might be a time to call 311 and ask if someone from the fire department could come by at their convenience and help me see if we could identify where the smoke was coming from.
I about died when the 311 operator immediately switched me to 911 and called in a FIRE at my house. Dang. So here comes the fire marshall and a huge fire truck and 8 firemen.
As it turned out, they said I had done the right thing calling them, as my attic fan engine was smouldering and they said there were sparks coming out of it and hitting on insulation - wh/ would have eventually started an attic fire. Whew.
Anyway, again, I don't think it is odd to find out what others think could be possibilities to check out b/f dailing 911 and having a fire truck show up. Responsible homeowners don't want to tie up emergency services when they aren't even sure what the problem might be.
I sure hope OP is okay and nothing major occurred in his house.
Yes, it was an explosion. I can tell from where I'm at. Definitely an explosion. I'd recommend soaking it with a fire extinguisher. Shut off the gas too.
When I read the title of this thread yesterday I hoped the member typed it AFTER he got himself, his family and pets out and was on the internet at a safe location. I thought surely he had called 911 first, and that his home was being inspected by firefighters at the time he was typing.
Gas is scary stuff so I would have called the FD if this happened at my house. Tonight and every night be sure that your smoke and CO2 detectors are working with fresh batteries just in case. If there was an explosion in the system due to hair etc.. it could have cracked a exhaust pipe and now it's letting out fumes. Be careful Be smart have it checked out.
I don't find it odd at all that they posted here! People don't want to make unnecessary 911 calls! I posted on C-D on my local (Charlotte) forum once asking if I should call 911 or 311, b/c we had been having a LOT of local publicity about people improperly calling 911 and tying up emergency lines.
In addition, I returned home after being away from my house for days, and I kept smelling smoke in my house and couldn't track down where it was coming from. I didn't want to call the Fire Dept when I couldn't even identify what -- if anything -- was really on fire (or smouldering) in my house. I walked outside and called 2 neighbors - as we have had situations before where there was something in the neighborhood burning and it smelled like it was inside our homes. Also, the city has done some sort of "leak check" on our water pipes in the past, where they pumped SMOKE into homes (don't ask me - I don't understand the process) . . . so I wanted to make sure that something like that hadn't occurred.
After checking with neighbors (no such smoke smell in their houses) and finding nothing outside, I decided this might be a time to call 311 and ask if someone from the fire department could come by at their convenience and help me see if we could identify where the smoke was coming from.
I about died when the 311 operator immediately switched me to 911 and called in a FIRE at my house. Dang. So here comes the fire marshall and a huge fire truck and 8 firemen.
As it turned out, they said I had done the right thing calling them, as my attic fan engine was smouldering and they said there were sparks coming out of it and hitting on insulation - wh/ would have eventually started an attic fire. Whew.
Anyway, again, I don't think it is odd to find out what others think could be possibilities to check out b/f dailing 911 and having a fire truck show up. Responsible homeowners don't want to tie up emergency services when they aren't even sure what the problem might be.
I sure hope OP is okay and nothing major occurred in his house.
I thought the same way you did, until it happened to us. I woke up one night, smelling something burning. I did a walk through the house, and found nothing. But, I still called the town non-emergency number. I knew our fire department was fully volunteer staffed, and besides not wanting to get anybody out of bed in the middle of the night unnecessarily, I had three little boys that I definitely did not want to wake up! I asked if one of the policemen on duty could drive by , without sirens, and check things out.
Instead I was transferred to 911, and ordered to get myself, my husband, and kids out of the house immediately. Then we heard the sirens. As it turned out, the dehumidifier in the finished basement had overheated, and had begun to burn through the carpeting.
And, in the chain of events, it was fire-prevention week. The very next day the fire chief was at my sons' elementary school, and asked my 5 yr old to come up to the front of the assembly to tell everybody what had happened the night before. I was held up to all as an example of what not to do.
At this point, I would call for any suspicion I might have.
That happened to us to. A double car garage door and it did sound like a big boom!
Same here. When mine broke no one had even used the garage that day and it was the last thing I expected. It certainly did sound like an explosion. My elderly mother, who lives with me, is practically deaf and even she jumped out of her seat. In the winter, though, the furnace would be my first thought. And along with that it would be "get out of the house."
I don't find it odd at all that they posted here! People don't want to make unnecessary 911 calls!
It really isn't that hard to find a non-emergency number for the PD or fire department.
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