Zzyzx fire update

[Zzyzx]

Just wanted to give a quick update to everyone and thank you for all your support and well wishes. We lost almost everything in the fire but were able to recover a few important documents and a few pictures. Everybody got out OK but we lost two of our pets and most everything except for what we ran out of the house wearing.

We are getting some great local support and will get through this in time.

We are grateful to be alive because have this happened in the middle of the night instead of a 10 o'clock in the morning outcome would have been much worse.

 

More to come next week once I have something I can type on that does not require a small pencil.

 

Thank you again, Ed

[cowpuc]

SO GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU Z - Thank you for the update brother!! Right there with you my friend - THANKFULLY it all happened at the time of day that it did!!! So sorry to hear about the loss of your belongings and triple that about the loss of your pets - talk about heartbreaking!! Thank GOD you are all ok!!! Godspeed as you work thru it all, if there is anyway we can help PLEASE let us know!

[Dale124]

Thanks for updating us, Ed. I am glad to hear from you. Hang in there, eventually this will be behind you!

Dale.

[slowrollwv]

Ed sorry to hear about the fire and see those pics. If there is anything I can do to help let me know.

[eagleeye]

That is so terrible to hear that I hardly know what to say other than I wish you my very best in the aftermath of the fire.

[ragtop69gs]

Jeannie and I were shocked to see and hear what happened, we are thankful you were able to escape injury. Very sorry for the loss of your pets and belongings. The pictures are a hard thing to loose, so many cherished memories..... I have most all our photos and important Docs scanned and backed up on multiple drives that are stored here and off site just in case something like this should happen.

 

Wishing you the best in recovering from this tragedy.

[Condor]

I talk to Ed almost daily, and privy to a lot more information. It's quite a story, but I'm gonna let him tell it. He does have a laptop on it's way. Once he get's that I'm sure he'll be posting.... One thing I can share is he's having a heck of a time getting his ID's back in order. His wallet was destroyed..Drivers License, Bank Cards, etc., and it's almost like a catch 22. He can't get his DL with out proof of identity, but he can't get bank cards without the DL. They lost everything. Something we all should think about. I remember my Dad keeping all of the important papers in one of those small fire safes. ID's, birth certs., Deeds, etc. The whole place could have gone up in smoke, but we'd still be operational....

[Eck]

Ed, I am so glad you and your family are all ok. Much sorrow is felt within my heart due to your loss.

 

One thing this sad news brings is a warning to all.

Loss of important documents can be a nightmare as mentioned above. Also claims to your insurance company can be very challenging if you have no proof of what you owned.

 

 

Suggestion here only:

 

What I have done is this: I took a good camera and began by setting the time and date on the camera to the date I took the pictures. I then began taking pictures of everything in our house, one TV at a time zooming in on ID information on such devices. Each room within the house I documented, opened closets and included pics of clothing and shoes. The bathroom shower, tub, toilet including towels, and wash cloths. I mean I took pictures of everything in our house one room at a time. I made envelopes on my lap top with titles of each room in the house and placed the pics in their corresponding envelopes.

Don't forget the garage tools, vehicles, and all that junk out in the back shed including those lawnmowers, edger's and such.

 

I took photos of my drivers license, SS card, all C'Cards (both sides so I can call those CC phone numbers to inform them and cancel/ retrieve new ones).

 

Once I captured everything we owned on photo-film, I copied all those pictures on a thumb drive and placed the thumb drive in a small fire proof safe, along with all those other important papers such as titles to our vehicles, house -car- motorcycle insurance documents, our original SS cards, marriage license, (dang, you get the "picture", ...pardon the pun).

 

During tornado warning times I can easily grab the small fireproof safe and head to our storm shelter. If a fire breaks out, hopefully I can grab the safe and take it outside with me, if not, it is fireproof.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2016 by Eck

[SilvrT]

@Eck ... excellent suggestion!!!

 

I've thought of some of that but that's about as far as it got. Time to quit procrastinating and GET TUIT

[Flyinfool]

So sorry to hear of this, I wish there were something I could do to help out.

 

Eck

I have also done that, except that I made 2 copies, one that is in the fire safe at home and another that is stored with someone I trust off site, just incase that tornado or fire happens when I am not home.

 

As a note, most fire safes are rated to keep paper from burning for 20 minutes in a fire. That means that the inside temp will stay under 350°F for 20 minutes in a house fire. Your thumb drive will melt long before paper burns.

Here is some good reading on fire safe ratings.

http://www.deansafe.com/fire-ratings-in-home-safes-and-gun-safes.html

[Freebird]

Bank safe deposit box is a good option.

[ragtop69gs]

So sorry to hear of this, I wish there were something I could do to help out.

 

Eck

I have also done that, except that I made 2 copies, one that is in the fire safe at home and another that is stored with someone I trust off site, just incase that tornado or fire happens when I am not home.

 

As a note, most fire safes are rated to keep paper from burning for 20 minutes in a fire. That means that the inside temp will stay under 350°F for 20 minutes in a house fire. Your thumb drive will melt long before paper burns.

Here is some good reading on fire safe ratings.

http://www.deansafe.com/fire-ratings-in-home-safes-and-gun-safes.html

 

 

Thats why my safe is rated at 2500* for 2 hours.

[eagleeye]

Bank safe deposit box is a good option.

That's what I thought too, but was told that they are not fireproof. So I bought a fireproof safe rated at 1850 for two hours and maintains below 350 degrees.

[Flyinfool]

That is why I make 2 copies one stored off site. The odds of 2 places both burning or being destroyed is really slim. If one is destroyed it only takes a few minutes to copy the surviving one. A second copy is also a LOT less expensive than a really good fire safe.

[Freebird]

That's what I really meant. I don't figure the bank and my house are going to BOTH burn. If they do, things are even worse than I thought.

[cowpuc]

Bank safe deposit box is a good option.

 

Right there with ya Boss,,, that way if the thieves decide they are gonna rob me before a fire does they will have a hard time carrying off my "safe".. Just an FYI,, our local bank gives a free lifetime safe deposit box with their new accounts - might be worth checking with banks in your area!!

[Dragonslayer]

Ed, I am so glad you and your family are all ok. Much sorrow is felt within my heart due to your loss.

 

One thing this sad news brings is a warning to all.

Loss of important documents can be a nightmare as mentioned above. Also claims to your insurance company can be very challenging if you have no proof of what you owned.

 

 

Suggestion here only:

 

What I have done is this: I took a good camera and began by setting the time and date on the camera to the date I took the pictures. I then began taking pictures of everything in our house, one TV at a time zooming in on ID information on such devices. Each room within the house I documented, opened closets and included pics of clothing and shoes. The bathroom shower, tub, toilet including towels, and wash cloths. I mean I took pictures of everything in our house one room at a time. I made envelopes on my lap top with titles of each room in the house and placed the pics in their corresponding envelopes.

Don't forget the garage tools, vehicles, and all that junk out in the back shed including those lawnmowers, edger's and such.

 

I took photos of my drivers license, SS card, all C'Cards (both sides so I can call those CC phone numbers to inform them and cancel/ retrieve new ones).

 

Once I captured everything we owned on photo-film, I copied all those pictures on a thumb drive and placed the thumb drive in a small fire proof safe, along with all those other important papers such as titles to our vehicles, house -car- motorcycle insurance documents, our original SS cards, marriage license, (dang, you get the "picture", ...pardon the pun).

 

During tornado warning times I can easily grab the small fireproof safe and head to our storm shelter. If a fire breaks out, hopefully I can grab the safe and take it outside with me, if not, it is fireproof.

 

 

 

 

Good thinking Eck, I guess that will be the next project on my project list.

[Eck]

I too have made two copies and one is with my mother in Fl..and one is in our safe.

I also have copies of every picture on my laptop which is most often with me. If a tornado warning is in effect, I always take the lap top & safe with us to the storm shelter. If it gets caught in the fire so be it, for I did forget to mention that I also took the thumb drive to our homeowners insurance provider and they downloaded a copy onto their computer also! They have a copy of every item in our house.

If & when I do an update of photos, I take the thumb drive to them again so they can download the new photos.

 

A safety deposit box is a darn good place too as Freebird mentioned /suggested.

[Condor]

I'm not going to do a thing.... If it all goes up in smoke I'll claim I'm an illegal alien and tap into all that free stuff.....

[cowpuc]

I'm not going to do a thing.... If it all goes up in smoke I'll claim I'm an illegal alien and tap into all that free stuff.....

 

I'd do the same Jack but I'm afraid my "Obama Phone" might come with classified text messages from,,,,,, never mind,,, just remember ol Pucster passed on this little quote from Kevin Costner in Water World = "nothings free in Water World" and you will do the right thing concerning the matter :rotfl::usa::usa:

[Condor]

OK baths are out....