Re: Hell Night

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "colin heath" <colin.heath4@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

hi stork,
            very sorry to hear of your terrible experience i experianced the
hassle of being out of my home also although nowhere near the same ours was
just damaged by a lorry. when we finally got back in it was redecorated in
better than new condition and it felt like a fresh start and i hope you feel
the same also.
cheers
colin

----- Original Message -----
From: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:15 AM
Subject: Hell Night


> Original poster: stork <stork@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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> 3/27/05
>
> Over the past twenty years I have enjoyed Tesla coiling and various high
> energy-HV pursuits.  I have collected a vast array of books, instruments
> and just plane interesting and good "stuff".  I have made many different
> coils, projects, models and instruments.  My three car garage turned
> into a two car garage with a hobbyist lab/shop in one bay and along two
> walls.  In addition to my electronic equipment, I put together a modest
> shop with many tools and power equipment.  As time went by my collection
> grew bigger and even better and I have spent enumerable pleasurable
> hours with my hobby.  I know our avocation is often considered
> dangerous, but I always practice it with care and caution.
>
> On 3/24/05 I left work and arrived home about 5:30 PM.  I parked my 2000
> Ford Expedition in the middle bay and went through the breezeway into my
> house.  I went up to my small office just off my bed room on the second
> floor of my house to work on my computer.  Just after 7:00 PM we heard a
> muffled boom and the windows shook a little.  My wife asked if I heard
> that noise and I said 'yes, I think it's just a truck in front of the
> house' (the road crews were re-surfacing the road at night).  She
> thought someone was trying to enter our house through the back so we
> turned on the back outside lights and there seemed to be no problem.  We
> heard another noise down stairs so I went down to investigate.  Nothing
> and no one was in the house.  But, as I rounded the corner to the
> breezeway I heard a muffled cracking sound in the garage.  I was sure
> someone was in the garage.  I cracked the door open and reached in and
> flipped on the light.  I opened the door and to my complete surprise and
> astonishment I found not a person, but fire and black smoke billowing
> up.  I have two garage fire extinguishers, but immediately knew I could
> not manage the situation with them.  I slammed the door and told my wife
> to call 911.
>
> I ran back through the house and out the front door to the driveway in
> front of the garage.  The intense heat caused two garage doors to
> partially open about half way.  The flames quickly spread and completely
> engulfed my Expedition and my wife's just paid for 1997 BMW.  The fire
> spread incredibly fast.  At that point, I knew it was really dangerous
> and yelled for my wife to run out the back door onto our dock, which she
> did.  I ran out to the street to direct the fire trucks when they came.
> Even though the fire station is only two miles away it seemed like it
> took them forever to get there and set up.
>
> The fire was an inferno at this point.  The garage was totally consumed
> in flames and there were about a dozen more explosions.  There was one
> huge explosion and fire and debris ejected about 50 feet out the garage
> doors and the garage roof lifted up several feet.  A fire ball went up
> past the top of the surrounding oak trees to about 75 - 100 feet.  One
> oak tree caught on fire.  The fire started going up the breezeway under
> the eves to my house.  At that point, I suddenly knew the house would
> catch on fire and probably burn to the ground.
>
> The Navy and Coast Guard were conducting night maneuvers out on the St
> Johns River behind my house.  A helicopter saw my wife on the end of the
> dock and directed a Coast Guard boat over to the dock with its search
> light.  My wife sure did appreciate those two guys coming over to help
> her.  I did too.
>
> When the fire engines arrived the fire was up to the breezeway and
> starting to enter the house.  These guys were tremendous.  Their plan
> was to attack the fire at the breezeway/house and try to cut it off from
> the inferno in the garage.  Miraculously, it worked.  It took over three
> hours to get the fire out.
>
> We got out with the clothes on our backs and are in a Holiday Inn now.
> Our home is extensively damaged and we will be out of it for about eight
> months for repair.  The breezeway, adjacent trees, garage and both cars
> are destroyed.  My beloved equipment, tools and invaluable treasures no
> longer exist.
>
> Of course, the real question is how did all this happen?  I will tell
> you categorically our hobby had nothing at all to do with this
> catastrophe.  When I initially went into the garage and saw the fire, it
> was under the Expedition engine area.  Flames were coming out around the
> driver's side wheel well and around the hood where it was fitted to the
> SUV. A large amount of black smoke was also coming out of this area. There
> was no other area burning or out of order in the garage.  The fire was
> entirely caused by the car.
>
> I write only to inform you disasters can and do happen, and that we should
> all continuously strive for safety in what ever we do.
>
> The only good thing about all of this is Anne and I are still alive and
> not hurt.  Even though it will take a good year of our lives to recover,
> only material things were lost.  Oh well, I don't even own a screw
> driver now.
>
> stork
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