A funny story with a lesson to be learned

[Mr F]

This happened on Christmas day, I can laugh about it now, probably cause thinking about what might have been is far too scary.

I'm a cub leader and as part of the run up to Christmas the kids do a lot of arts and crafts etc, one of the things we make every year is a table decoration that basically consists of a candle shoved into that green stuff you put fake flowers in surrounded by fake leaves, put into a pot and then wrapped up in ribbon. 

I'm not really an arts and crafts kind of leader so I don't really get involved in that, I normally sneak off for a ciggie.  So one of the leaders normally makes me one to give to my mum and pass off as my own.  Which I did.

Come Christmas Day and I get back from the pub and get settled for Lunch at which point my Sister in Law lights the candle.  Lunch was fab as always which signalled the traditional after lunch sleep.  Woke up at 5 and told my brother to get himself sorted cos we were heading round to our cousins and then to a mates. 

Asked Mum if she was coming but she declined saying she wanted to tidy up first and she might see us later. 

So we saw the realtives, and headed up to my mates.  Did the present thing, he gave me the Marlow Ladies Rugby xv calender for next year which features various women (including his girlfriend) in various rugby related poses with no tops on.  (Does anyone think thats a weird present to get from your best mate?)

Anyway my brother had to leave so him and his wife went back to mine. 

Come 12:30 I get a call from them, "there's been a fire"

Turns out the candle burnt down to the fake soil stuff and set that alight which in turn set the rest off, Mum was in the kitchen and didn't notice until she walked in to the living room.  She's a bit of a panicky person and doesn't cope well under pressure.  Deciding that throwing a damp cloth is the way to go she grabs a cloth and chuck it on the flames, completely forgetting to dampen it!!!

  That goes up in flames and she calls the Fire Brigade.  Eventually she chucks a baking tray on it to try and starve the flames which works a little bit.  And then finds a damp towel which does the trick and stops the fire.  She calls to cancel the Brigade but they turn up anyway.

I have a friend who can see my house from his window and noticing the commotion he took a look to see six fireman run into the house and five come walking out 10 seconds later shaking their heads.

There is now a plate sized burn mark on the dinner table and two new smoke alarms fitted in the house. 

Like I said we can all laugh it off now, but we were extremely lucky that mum was in the house.

So the lesson I've learnt from this??

Don't be a flipping cub leader!! >:?

[madasahatstand]

the real learning experience is never let a candle burn unattended. Its happened to me twice. The first time i had people in my house in the room it happened. the friends  dogs were unsettled and kept making noises. the next minute the whole table cloth was up in fire. thankfully we got it out but it ruined the table. The second time was one of those oil burners which i have on in the hall. i walked past it at the right time because the thing did a spontenious combustion thing. i used to leave the house with candles on. no more though because i have also learned my lesson

mad

[Card_Shark]

When i was a young inexperienced 18 year old i visited the girlfriends house late one night (her parents were away). After sharing a bottle of wine and watching a video she dissappeared for a few minutes then came back and led me through to her bedroom.

She had really set the scene, the lights were off with the only light coming from a candle on the bedside table, heated passion soon followed but as we rolled around on her bed i suddenly jumped out of the bed with my hair fully alight. i rushed to her bathroom and dunked my head under the cold tap to quell the flames.

Luckily no real harm was done apart from making me feel like a complete prat !

[suzanne]

Reminds of a Christmas many years ago. Me and my family were living in Spain and Xmas dinner was planned at our aparment with a few ex pats coming round. The table was laid, dinner cooking nicely when my sis decided it would be nice to light the open log fire. She poured alcohol over the logs, lit it and whoosh it burst into flames.
 After 10 mins or so the fire was starting to die down due to the logs being slightly damp so she picked up the plastic bottle of alcohol and proceeded to give it a good squirt. The fire burst into flames again only that wasn't all that caught lite, the flames shot up the stream of liquid and set the bottle on fire. We both just stood there staring at this bottle in her hand as the flames got higher, suddenly she panicked and was running round the room, shaking the bottle trying (very unsuccessful) to put out the flames. Spots of burning alcohol were EVERYWHERE, on the floor, tablecloth and furniture and im running behind her trying to put out the flames. "Throw it in the sink" I yelled at her. She ran into the kitchen, threw it into the sink...then turned on the tap!!! WHOOSH!!! Flames were now hitting off the ceiling and we are both just standing there watching the inferno. I then came to my senses and ran towards the bathroom to get a wet towel, ran back into the kitchen which was now full of smoke but no flames. My sister had picked up the bottle and lobbed it out the kitchen window. Only problem was we lived in a first floor flat and the kitchen window was overlooking a very busy main street eeeeeeekkkkk!!!!! LUCKILY because it was Christmas morning the street was quiet and the bottle lay burning away in the middle of the road with a few curious bypassers looking up at the building trying to figure out where the bottle had come from.
 We both burst into hysterical laughter with tears streaming down our faces. That is one Christman morning I wont forget