Which possession would you save

My sentiments exactly, Lyn B.  And here's another opportunity for me to ascend the soapbox (I think I've already done it twice on this forum, but for the benefit of the newbies - here goes again).  CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS!!!  I can't emphasize it enough.  We had a house fire in 2001 (a small one, thank God) our house didn't burn down.  But the house was full of smoke and I know that I'm here today because our smoke alarm went off at 3:15 AM and SAVED OUR LIVES.  So again,  DO IT!  Check the alarms, and if you don't have one, get one and put it up.

yes Ruth very good advice

i always check mine

i have two installed

That's great, Bill.  Thanks for setting a good example.  And on that note:

This is Fire Marshal Ruth, asking you all to check in here stating that 1) you've checked your alarm, 2) are going to check it TODAY, or 3) lacking one, are going to head down to the DIY store THIS WEEKEND and get one!!!  They say you have a better chance of following thru with a task if you put it in writing.  LOL

Can you tell I feel very strongly about this?  Just trying to protect a lot of people I've come to know and care about.....

    You know Ray, I learned an long time ago, having some 148 kids through this house of mine, don't keep your valuables at your house. they get broke, they get taken, if you want something, get an storage unit, or an bank vault and keep them there. I've found cigarrettes laying on my brick ledging of my house, where they were put out quickly and "stashed" to be retrieved later, ( we have an non-smoking house) and never were smokers....I've had the back window of my house completely taken out, some beer my hubby had removed, the window replaced, and the side door left open so we'd know some one had been in the house as an "funny"...we found out when it went through the local high school "underground" who did it and why..mosty to prove to us that anyone can do anything they want these days...or we'd still be wondering how they got into our house. People asked me one time why I go for an lot of silk green foliage plants...and basic furniture..well,they don't seem to want the plants...for the most part they have little re-sale value to the kids. Electronics we have learned to get the small ones and take them with us. Supposedly I live in what's considered an "good" neighborhood. School principal use to live up the street from us...we were at one time mostly high middle income white people....most people have come through here like Ali Baba and the 40 thieves and left us now....we are no longer the "new" houses in the area. They say its really bad in places of remote vacation homes, you'd better hire an year around "live-in" babysitter for it if your not there all the time. I can remember growing up where we never locked up anything, and no one bothered anything. I think everything is precious to most people, or they would of not bought it in the first place..the in-house sprinkler systems are great for putting out fires at the first sign of smoke, I highly recommend them and then you don't have to worry about fires. They will even douse you soaking wet in the middle of the night if the electric blanket catches on fire and is smoking, before knocking out the electrical current to it beforehand. Our house has two way smoke detectors, one is built into the house system itself..the other is over ceiling type near by more likely things to smoke if on fire. The house system one will take care of things in the walls...like electrical wires..before fire will burn through the wall...again it "trips" the electircity...sets off an very loud alarm, even the neighbors can hear. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth an pound of cure.  I think whomever set the lttile gal's house on fire that I raised as an kid, most likely worked for either the guy selling the house, or someone in the city....wants the property "cheap". It mght of been an homeless type, as the city had an old church they had bought and set in the city park to renovate someday "burn" by arson also...but this house is outside the downtown city area....the city is running to old house's all the time for "fire practice"...by some kind of an "arsonist". It's then the ground gets sold as an empty lot for renovation by someone, though for the most part it's never done more or less. I would say the city has done this to well over the core area of town in the past for apartment housing ot be built there later on. They have made it one of "fast food" and huge aprartment complexes.The teachers in our area, as well as other small business locals have formed "co-op's" in raising money to set these huge apartment houses up as investment income....this old house and barn would make an good location for one of them no doubt. Yes, it's sinister, but who can fight the city under these circumstances..to most they are nearly next to invisible unless you know it exists...such are the ways of today. Whomever went back three times to set the buildings on fire...to level this lot....by "arson" in an 24 hour period.  

Good point, Lyn.  We live in a single story house too, but you need to have a plan taking into account all the places a fire might possibly break out, especially if you have an elderly or disabled person living with you, as well as your animals.

Good point too, about the carbon monoxide alarms, Stephanie.  When I was a youngster one of my schoolmates had a family tragedy from carbon monoxide from a coal furnace.  She lost both parents, a grandparent and a sibling all in a single night.

Lyn B. we have 2 that are hard wired and a couple battery operated in other corners of the house.  They ususally get a test when I cook.  LOL!  or my husband, who still smokes will blow smoke into them to test them.