On general home safety

And other animals.

Welp, yesterday we all learned a valuable lesson about fire safety 😬

Now please let me emphasise:

WE ARE ALL FINE

Nobody was hurt, and the house is still in one piece. However, in a stunning and probably preventable turn of events? I accidentally set fire to our kitchen by making my kids dinner. For today, to add insult to injury. I wasn’t even making them dinner for consumption at the time.

But yes, in attempting to make mini toad in the holes for the offspring? There was accidental ignification. Though fortunately only of the second tray! Thank the gods for small mercies 🤣😉

No, I didn’t save the few that I was prepping, and yes I did throw the entire tray out.

Now, as I am calmly writing and sharing this you can assume we are all fine.

We are. But that’s not to say it wasn’t traumatising. Because we (the hus-creature and myself) realised that we are woefully, abysmally, underprepared for this type of emergency.

See, I put a hot pan onto a hot hob. I was trying to keep the oil hot because that is *key* to successful Yorkshire Pudding. But either it took too long or the pan was too hot or…

Maybe?

I was using the last of the Christmas goose fat, which it appears has a lower point of ignition than canola or sunflower oil and it went up.

It was a small fire. I stayed calm. I shouted “FIRE” and I also remembered what not to do for an oil-based fire.


You never, ever, throw water on an oil fire. No ifs. No buts. No coconuts.


However there were no fire blanket or fire extinguishers to hand. There may have been an extinguisher in the basement. This is NOT good. And has been rectified.

This is the heir. The spare is safely stored and we will, in future, be operating on a “one to wash and one to wear” principle.

Reluctant praise to Overlord Bezos is forced to be extended here.


So in tackling the (small) blaze I lost a couple of teatowels, the pair of oven gloves, and I had to mop up the floor a bit.

The hus-creature is actually beating himself up far more than is even remotely reasonable considering he is not the one who inadvertently caused a fire. Once everything was safe, secured, and aired out (because even a small amount of oil fire = big smoke) we all went and had a lie down.

And immediately there was Emotional Support Cat ❤️

She leapt up onto the bed, briefly booped me, then settled her full weight onto her daddy’s chest and did her best train impression:

Emotional Support Cat Train

She’s a good kitty 💔

So we are all safe. The kids were mildly freaked out but surprisingly happy to tell us what you are supposed to do in case of fire. So we all learned something I think.

And it proves that the 13th of any month is potentially disastrous for me. Be it a Friday or otherwise 🤣

TT isn’t going to let me forget about it for a while though.

And honestly? That’s fair.