# My workplace caught on fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961 "2008-11-10T00:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/1 "2008-11-10T00:21:35Z")
I was just promoted and am the manager of a group home for mentally challenged people. I started there last Sunday. On Tuesday, a co-worker turned on a pot pf potatoes to boil for dinner while I was sitting at the table doing some paperwork. She had walked out of the room and I smelled something burning. I saw a small flicker under the pot and went to check it out. When I moved the pot off the burner, flames shot out of the burner and hit the range hood. I began to yell to the co-worker and our residents to evacuate. I assisted in the evecuation then ran back into the kitchen, grabbed the extinguisher and put the fire out. There was moderate damage in the kitchen, but no structual damage. We’ve been out of the house for a few days now, until clean up can take place, as our resident have compromised systems and the smoke and chemicals may hurt them. Do you thin that I did enough to get employee of the month now? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/2 "2008-11-10T00:34:46Z")
I’m glad no one was hurt. And sure, employee of the month for you! My workplace caught on fire once. I was working at a radio station and one of the AC units on the roof caught on fire. Four engines and the hazmat team showed up. The chief was really pissed to find we were all still in the building. The sales manager (one of the owners) wouldn’t let us leave because “It’s a really important meeting and the fire _is on the roof_ not _in the building_.” ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/3 "2008-11-10T01:02:34Z")
My workplace caught on fire once, too. It happened in the middle of the night when one dude’s printer overheated. Luckily, the sprinkler system activated and put out the fire but the water did a lot of damage to our computers. And the smell of wet soot permeated everything. We were displaced for a couple weeks while a team came in and repaired and replaced everything. In the months following, whenever any of us who screw up, we’d say, “Yeah, well at least we didn’t burn the place down.” ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/4 "2008-11-10T01:07:07Z")
My workplace has caught on fire numerous times. Just one of the perks of working in a lab with lots and lots of inflammable solvents. Never anything serious though. Nobody’s ever been hurt in a fire, at least while I’ve been there. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/5 "2008-11-10T01:36:47Z")
My ex-wife taught 3rd grade. One year her students set her room on fire. She stepped out into the hall to talk to someone and while she was out of the room a couple of kids set the bulletin boards on fire with a lighter. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/6 "2008-11-10T01:44:30Z")
You remained calm in the face of a _real_ emergency. Employee of the YEAR. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/7 "2008-11-10T12:19:48Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I’m glad no one was hurt. And sure, employee of the month for you! > > My workplace caught on fire once. I was working at a radio station and one of the AC units on the roof caught on fire. Four engines and the hazmat team showed up. > > The chief was really pissed to find we were all still in the building. The sales manager (one of the owners) wouldn’t let us leave because “It’s a really important meeting and the fire _is on the roof_ not _in the building_.” You’re sh%tting me. :eek:😕 ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/8 "2008-11-12T16:17:58Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > You’re sh%tting me. :eek:😕 Nope, it happens. I worked on the 11th floor of a 12 story office building once where there was a bomb threat on the office on the 7th floor. They evacuated the 6th-8th floors, and left the rest of us in place. We only found out because we saw the emergency vehicles, bomb squad van, and HAZMAT team in the parking lot. We watched them remove the package and explode it in the parking lot. From our office window. Eli ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/9 "2008-11-12T16:26:24Z")
> [@dragongirl](#): > > I was just promoted and am the manager of a group home for mentally challenged people. I started there last Sunday. Congratulations on the promotion. I had 2 sure signs of fall this weekend. I had a fire page Sunday for a lady close to my house that had her CO detector beeping. The batteries needed changing, and it doesn’t get done until there’s at least one fire truck and an ambulance in her driveway to get it done. :rolleyes: Monday morning was the other one. A fire page to the local nursing home for a smell of smoke. The cause was the half-inch mat of dust in the heater filters, which had not been cleaned since we were there for the same reason last year. :rolleyes: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dactylic\_hexameter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@dactylic\_hexameter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dactylic_hexameter)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/10 "2008-11-12T18:24:44Z")
> [@dragongirl](#): > > I began to yell to the co-worker and our residents to evacuate. I assisted in the evecuation then ran back into the kitchen, grabbed the extinguisher and put the fire out. Well done. Out of curiosity, why didn’t you put the fire out first? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/11 "2012-10-23T13:05:14Z")
> [@dactylic\_hexameter](#): > > Well done. Out of curiosity, why didn’t you put the fire out first? standard way to handle a fire RECEO Rescue - clear out building Exposures - anything that we need to protect that is near fire Contain - not really applicable at this scale Extinguish - surround and drown baby 😃 Overhaul - make sure its really out If you have enough people, several steps can happen concurrently. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/12 "2012-10-23T13:13:03Z")
> [@dactylic\_hexameter](#): > > Well done. Out of curiosity, why didn’t you put the fire out first? Or at least turn the burner to the stove off first. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/13 "2012-10-23T13:21:39Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I’m glad no one was hurt. And sure, employee of the month for you! > > My workplace caught on fire once. I was working at a radio station and one of the AC units on the roof caught on fire. You should have told your boss that\*\*\* the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire\*\*\*. Bet he wold have let you out of the meeting if you had all started singing that. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/14 "2012-10-23T15:02:46Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > standard way to handle a fire > > RECEO > > Rescue - clear out building > Exposures - anything that we need to protect that is near fire > Contain - not really applicable at this scale > Extinguish - surround and drown baby 😃 > Overhaul - make sure its really out > > If you have enough people, several steps can happen concurrently. Well, yes, but turning off the small fire (the burner) before taking the pot off might have prevented the big fire. Do you evac a building before turning the stovetop off, every time you cook? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/15 "2012-10-23T15:23:17Z")
> [@dragongirl](#): > > On Tuesday, a co-worker turned on a pot pf potatoes to boil for dinner while I was sitting at the table doing some paperwork. She had walked out of the room and I smelled something burning. Looks like some safety and common sense training is in order. > [@](#): > > Do you thin that I did enough to get employee of the month now? Well, you were promoted on Sunday and the fire was on Tuesday. Plenty of time to do safety training on the Monday in between. So nope. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/16 "2012-10-23T15:42:21Z")
zombie or no has the building aired out yet? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/17 "2012-10-23T15:51:10Z")
That was very correct-thinking of you to get the residents out before putting out what probably looked like not a big deal of a fire. Instinct would be to take care of that first, but just in case, residents first. You did good; congrats on the promotion 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/18 "2012-10-23T15:52:20Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Looks like some safety and common sense training is in order. > > Well, you were promoted on Sunday and the fire was on Tuesday. Plenty of time to do safety training on the Monday in between. So nope. > > 😃 No no, she STARTED working there on Sunday; fire was Tuesday; she is now promoted. 🙂 What’s the war-term for that; field promotion or somewhat? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/19 "2012-10-23T15:53:38Z")
Ach, why all the zombies lately? I don’t get it. **Drachillix** , why? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961/20 "2012-10-23T17:24:10Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Ach, why all the zombies lately? I don’t get it. > > **Drachillix** , why? you can get behind on reading these threads. it was a useful safety comment, just late. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-workplace-caught-on-fire/471961.md?page=2)