And then the firefighters came...

Exciting happenings in our household. I was making dinner this evening and I set up the pot with sunflower oil (a tablespoon) to heat while I was preparing the chicken. The phone rings, I go to answer it. I'm gone a minute, I return to find the pot on fire. I had a half second to panic, then I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire. My kitchen now looks like this:



And this would be my over stove cupboards:


My pot:



I have a few blisters on my hand from backsplash and one on my chest. My apartment was filled with smoke, I managed to get my kids out, and my super neighbour across the hall went in with his buddies and they made sure the windows were open, all burners off, got the pot off the stove and took blankets to try and fan the smoke out. Another neighbour lent us her fan to blow the smoke out. I called the fire dept to come and check things out, to make sure that the fire was totally out. They arrive, Grace was fascinated by the firefighters gear and the truck. Cam was just wide-eyed. Phil's cell phone crapped out on him, so he had no warning when he arrives home to find suited firefighters in our apartment. Quite an adventure.

But this is the freaky part: Every night my kids are in the kitchen with me while I make dinner. Grace plays in the cupboards, Cam is usually playing with her. Tonight, Cam decided he wanted to play in his room instead of "help" me out, and Grace was enjoying a late nap in my bed (smoke alarms didn't wake her up at all, she woke up when I grabbed her to take her out). By some miracle, my kids were no where near the kitchen. I think I'll spend some time tonight thanking God for such favours.

ETA: Woke up this morning and discovered a blister on my face as well, I knew my cheek felt really hot last night...my right arm (my fire extinguisher arm) is spotted with little blisters, looks like chicken pox actually. Phil is now cleaning the kitchen...the damage seems to be only to the stove hood with a few scorch marks on surrounding cupboards, eveything else is jsut dirty from soot. Everytime I look in there I think about how much worse it could have been...next pay we are buying either a cordless phone or a phone for the kitchen.