This Is Not a Drill: Fire Evacuation 101

The following story is based on actual events. Names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.

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A choir of angels...or demons. That's probably what a choir teacher typically dreams about at night, but tonight, Katie wasn't dreaming. Having just spent a long day at work trying to teach middle school students how to sing, she was exhausted and easily dropped off into a deep sleep. She was dead to the world. Dead, that is, until her roommate walked into her room at 12:30am and woke her up.

"Katie. Katie!!"

"Hmmmm?"

"The neighbor's house is on fire. We have to get out."

"Okay"

Katie had been in such a deep sleep that the gravity of what was happening less than 50 feet away from her didn't sink in. She rolled out of bed and stumbled around her room looking for her sweater, which is not an easy thing to do when you aren't wearing contacts. But she knew if she had to go outside it would be cold and she wanted a sweater to help keep her warm. Well, that and she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Where is she?"

Katie heard a man's voice coming from upstairs but she continued to look around for her sweater. Because she didn't completely understand what was happening, she was definitely taking her time. A couple seconds later she saw a blurred image of a man walk into her bedroom.

"You have to get out of here. Now!"

"Okay!" Katie replied. She grabbed a different sweater. It wasn't the warmer one she wanted, but it would have to do. She wrapped it around her and followed the man out of the house.

As she walked out the front door, she could see the sky around her was a brilliant orange. She turned her head to the left.

"Holy cow! That house is on fire!"

Reality hit and she began to feel the fear and panic inside her. She sat there watching and could only hope that her house wouldn't burn down too. The powerlines between the two houses were sparking and flames were jumping. She could do nothing but watch and pray that everything she owned wouldn't be turned to ash.

Two hours later the fire was contained and Katie and her roommate were able to go back inside their house. The only damage was a blown out window and some bubbling paint on one wall. Katie couldn't sleep after that. Her mind kept swirling with what had just happened. And she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude not only for the blurred man who kept pounding on their door, but for her roommate who managed to hear the incessant banging and answered it.

So the moral(s) of the story is: when someone is banging on your front door and back door in the middle of the night, answer it. And when they tell you to get out it's probably wise to not search around for a sweater! Apparently they will not hestitate to come into your room and drag you out, so be sure you are always wearing decent pajamas. And it might also help to have a pair of glasses close by so when you don't have time to put in your contacts, you'll still be able to see who the strange man is that's standing in your bedroom (who, in this case, turned out to be a Police Officer).