House on fire, oh no! [Archive]

Mr. Anderson

Jun 28, 2005, 09:27 AM

That and my camera and photos - if I could get to them and it wasn't too dangerous. There are a number of entrances to the house, so I should be able to do it. I just hope I never have to find out.

D

MacTruck

Jun 28, 2005, 09:29 AM

Well, come to think of it, I have several macs, might have to send my wife and kids back in to help me.

JUST JOKING!!!!!

EGT

Jun 28, 2005, 09:34 AM

I would either grab the backup drive or the powerbook, depending on which one is furthest from fire.

After getting the family out of course. I have a little fire extinguisher under my bed just in case.

evilernie

Jun 28, 2005, 09:39 AM

I need to do a backup! :rolleyes:

Assuming I had a backup, I would go back for the dog, then my guitars, then my laptop. In that order.

MacTruck

Jun 28, 2005, 09:48 AM

Think a G5 could survive a fire? WOW could you imagine that apple ad. The FireProof G5, enhnaced with fire retarding kevlar.

EGT

Jun 28, 2005, 09:54 AM

Think a G5 could survive a fire? WOW could you imagine that apple ad. The FireProof G5, enhnaced with fire retarding kevlar.

Inside or outside? :p

pdpfilms

Jun 28, 2005, 10:01 AM

I would, i can sense it. First, the G5. Leave the screen... it's too bulky to carry... and conviently needs to be updated... Then my D2x... then my DVX100a.... then some freshly cooked toast.

keysersoze

Jun 28, 2005, 10:26 AM

The Aluminum PowerBooks warp under normal heat from everyday use. I don't think an Aluminum G5 would survive a raging inferno.

Sorry.

debroglie

Jun 28, 2005, 10:35 AM

The Aluminum PowerBooks warp under normal heat from everyday use. I don't think an Aluminum G5 would survive a raging inferno.

Sorry.

When I was at the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store grand opening last saturday a couple brought in two laptops that had been in a house fire. The wife presented a dell that was melted, cracked, and worthless. She said that it was ten feet from the fire. Then the husband presented an iBook with the cover completely covered in bubbles from the heat and full of grey soot. He said that this one was IN the fire... and the proceeded to boot it up. :eek: :D Needless to say, I was amazed.

Back to the question, unfortunately I don't have external backup (i know, i know... funds don't allow) so I would grab at least one of my computers so that I could keep my files. I would let my Dell screen burn, not because I don't love it, but because I love not burning alive.

OnceUGoMac

Jun 28, 2005, 10:39 AM

I just got renters insurance, so no.

Let it burn, I want a new G5.

We do need a fireproof safe for all of my image discs though. :eek:

I concur. Risking one's life for a toy is silly.

MacTruck

Jun 28, 2005, 10:46 AM

I concur. Risking one's life for a toy is silly.

Absolutely agree. My kids toys stay, but my macs are getting rescued! :eek:

Applespider

Jun 28, 2005, 11:08 AM

The Aluminum PowerBooks warp under normal heat from everyday use.

True... perhaps I should grab an oven-mitt before rescuing the Powerbook from the fire! ;)

noel4r

Jun 28, 2005, 11:16 AM

It will one of the things, along w/ important papers, pictures, money, jewelry, that I'll try to remove out of the house.

iJon

Jun 28, 2005, 11:36 AM

roadapple

Jun 28, 2005, 11:39 AM

Doubt it, my powerbook probably started the fire...

AoWolf

Jun 28, 2005, 11:48 AM

Doubt it, my powerbook probably started the fire...

So true :)

QCassidy352

Jun 28, 2005, 11:53 AM

I might, actually. Only because I have a hell of a lot of pictures, documents, etc. on my computer that are nowhere else and that mean a great deal to me. Yeah I should back em up... but I'm lazy.

enoch

Jun 28, 2005, 01:35 PM

Ha!

My house DID catch fire, with my Mac inside.

Y'know what? In that moment when I found my fusebox on fire, my choice of computers became much less important. In fact, I can state with absolute certainty, I did not give a thought in the world to my mac.

Honestly, just use them as computers. They ain't even worth this degree of thought.

runninmac

Jun 28, 2005, 01:39 PM

When I was at the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store grand opening last saturday a couple brought in two laptops that had been in a house fire.

I was there too! But I didn't see that couples iBook I would have loved to.

Edit: On the topic I would much rather go in and get my presious dog.

Switzermac

Jun 28, 2005, 01:54 PM

Seeing that the mac is probably insured i would leave it, and it is a replacable object.

mxpiazza

Jun 28, 2005, 01:56 PM

i would like to think that i would grab it on the way out, but i would probably freak and jet out of my apartment naked.

wheezy

Jun 28, 2005, 01:59 PM

It will one of the things, along w/ important papers, pictures, money, jewelry, that I'll try to remove out of the house.

Oh come on...the easy answer to all this is to just not keep anything in your house, then you don't have anything to rescue when you get a housefire. Keep it all in your trunk. :D:D

jeffzoom

Jun 28, 2005, 02:35 PM

you know that little wheel outside your house that turns faster the more electricity you use? Well i am the reason it turns faster than a dodge ram on a tree in front of a "TWISTER". i don't have a mac, unless you count my special edition blue powerbook (compaq with el mac sticker). When i have my desktop replacment running, 115 watt computer speakers, printer, 25 altecs, 600 watt home theater, tv, dvd, and aquarium, i leave the house with my stuff except, i would be the fire.(bluepb runs at a min of 55 C at idle)

michaelrjohnson

Jun 28, 2005, 02:42 PM

I just might... but it would seriously depend on where I was and where the fire was. If I was next to it and everyone else was out, then definitly yes. If not, i'd probably try and grab my external HD. If not, ah well... Sucks, but life is a whole lot cooler.

MacsRgr8

Jun 28, 2005, 04:32 PM

I got a LaCie Biggest 1.6 TB external RAID5 drive.....

If i could rescue that, I would have all my docs, mp3s, pics etc. safe.
So, one could see me running in and out of my house with this Fire :D Wire 800 drive being salvaged. ;)

I must admit that I would feel very sorry for my Macs (assuming no real lives are in danger). All my trustworthy funloving toys getting burnt.... :(

Like setting fire to a 5 year-old's teddy bear..... HEART BREAKING!!! :( :(

law guy

Jun 28, 2005, 09:33 PM

Well take it from me from first hand experience. All of you should simply back up anything important and put it in a fireproof safe. That way you don't have to worry about getting your computers.

Hopefully it never happens to you, but you'll learn that if your house does catch on fire there will be way more important things than a computer that you'll lose (not including the possibility of very sensitive and irreplaceable stuff on the computer).

jon

iJon - your house burned down? Sorry to hear that - hope everyone was fine. I did put all sorts of things in a fireproof safe... lost the key and needed our passports, so we had to pick the lock with a wood ax. It still closes though, so that's some protection.

I think pictures, old boxes of cards, letters, that sort of stuff would be hard to loose. All of those memories. This - and hurricanes and tornados and forest management - is the reason for us to seek concrete/rebar housing with an unfinished storage area.

As for me, slinging my daughter under one arm grabbing the wife and getting the heck out! I'll have state farm cover the new macs.

Benjamin

Jun 28, 2005, 09:45 PM

I would totally go for any harddrives I could rescue. Few lacies the powerbooks, etc. Yeah I would risk it.

lem0n

Jun 28, 2005, 10:23 PM

of course... :eek: my PB is where I store all of my pictures [travelling pictures + friends... etc]... I can't stand the thought of not remembering my travelling... My bag bursted open the other day, I dropped my sketchbook and pencil case in the rain [running for the bus], found out 3 hours later at home, went back, saw 2 best drawings on the ground ruined... Pencil case and sketchbook is no whre to be found and I had all of my datas on it [moving from PC to Mac] the worst thing is, my probther finished formatting the PC by the time I got back home :( horrible memory... so if there's a fire... PB is the first thign I'm grabbing... But most of the time, the all the fire alrams in our apartment are bogus, it rang once every 2 weeks or so... People don't even bother to run down to ground anymore, just stay in their and try to blast off the sound of the alarm [what if there is a real fire :eek: ]

MacTruck

Jun 28, 2005, 10:59 PM

There is only one way to be safe. Backup all your data. Get renters insurance. Take video of all your possessions. Put all of that into a fire safe. This I know, but I still have not done it. I think I am going to do this this weekend.

I got to thinking about all of this after reading CNNs article about ford F-150s catching fire because of a faulty cruise control plug. I have that vehicle. After I read that I went out to my truck and disconnected the switch and have been wondering about the desctruction of all my stuff ever since. Heard too many fire stories, time to get prepared for a disaster. You never know what will start that house on fire.

Plymouthbreezer

Jun 28, 2005, 11:27 PM

This would be tough. My main priorities assuming my parents/other people in the house were safe would be: My bird (not that I like the thing - its loud and messy - but I couldn't let a living thing just burn); my artwork (lots of time and work); a box of personal sentimental stuff in my room (my old teddy bear, some pictures, letters, some relics from deceased loved ones... that type of stuff); and my G4 iMac + iPod (the G3 doesn't have any important stuff on it) in that order. Then again, the computer and the bird are near eachother, so I could maybe get them in one pass, and then make a dash to my room to get my artwork and other stuff in there. I could always throw stuff out the window too...

MacTruck

Jun 28, 2005, 11:34 PM

Thats it, I'm converting a closet into a firesafe and moving my office in there. Ohhh peace of mind.

Isn't it funny how office buildings have sprinklers but every house and apartment have a $2 smoke alarm?

tech4all

Jun 28, 2005, 11:41 PM

It's funny how everyone is planning in what order they'll take things outside the burning house. But do you really think we would actually remember all this when we're surrounded by flames and panicking? :eek:

First off without even thinking about it, would be to make sure everyone and all living things are safe then:

If it were me and since I have a LaCie external HD I would take that since all my data is backed up on that. The computer could be replaced, but that data can not be. Then I would go after photos/items that don't have digital versions. I think that would be about it. But I don't think I could stand the sight of my burned PowerMac G5 and dual displays :( Oh yeah, my iPod too!

This sorta reminds me of that episode of The Simpons where Homer evacuates the house with a fake fire drill so the family could go to the Duff Beer festival :D

iJon

Jun 29, 2005, 12:18 AM

iJon - your house burned down? Sorry to hear that - hope everyone was fine. I did put all sorts of things in a fireproof safe... lost the key and needed our passports, so we had to pick the lock with a wood ax. It still closes though, so that's some protection.

I think pictures, old boxes of cards, letters, that sort of stuff would be hard to loose. All of those memories. This - and hurricanes and tornados and forest management - is the reason for us to seek concrete/rebar housing with an unfinished storage area.

As for me, slinging my daughter under one arm grabbing the wife and getting the heck out! I'll have state farm cover the new macs.
Law guy, it's been a while. How is the PowerMac doing (if you still have it).

Yes it burned down about 2 months ago. Got the dogs out and that was about it. I lived on campus so I didn't experience as it started. Details aren't important, I made a long and ridiculous thread on it the day it happened, you can dig it up if you want. Other than that everythings good. Getting some new blueprints made up, house should be done in 9 months and we will be all squared away.

jon

Chunkywheats

Jun 29, 2005, 04:24 AM

I think, even if everyone inside was outside...if one did run back in for their back up HD and/or Mac, I think it would seem extremely possessive...It would probably weird out Firemen/friends/family....most likely you would end up on a Jerry Springer episode entitled "...I left my wife for my Powerbook" or "...guess what i got stuck in my CD-ROM Drive"

tsk

Jun 29, 2005, 06:32 AM

When I was at the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store grand opening last saturday a couple brought in two laptops that had been in a house fire. The wife presented a dell that was melted, cracked, and worthless. She said that it was ten feet from the fire. Then the husband presented an iBook with the cover completely covered in bubbles from the heat and full of grey soot. He said that this one was IN the fire... and the proceeded to boot it up. :eek: :D Needless to say, I was amazed.

Sorry, I don't believe that as posted for a second.

Do you realize how hot a fire will have to be to melt a laptop at 10 feet? Anything that will melt a Dell at 10 feet is going to be plenty warm to generally mess up an iBook. Even if the outer shell was able to withstand heat for a bit, there is plenty inside the laptop that's going to be totally screwed.

mad jew

Jun 29, 2005, 06:38 AM

iMac under one arm, iBook under the other, iPod in the back pocket and maybe a warm coat if it's cold outside. :)

Mass Hysteria

Jun 29, 2005, 07:00 AM

. . . Then the husband presented an iBook with the cover completely covered in bubbles from the heat and full of grey soot. He said that this one was IN the fire . . .

but was it the cause of the fire!

VanMac

Jun 29, 2005, 07:16 AM

If I had a mac, I would go back for it (pb that is). Still waiting for an upgrade :(

Certainly go for the wife and kids first, maybe the cat...... :rolleyes:

law guy

Jun 29, 2005, 08:10 AM

Law guy, it's been a while. How is the PowerMac doing (if you still have it).

Yes it burned down about 2 months ago. Got the dogs out and that was about it. I lived on campus so I didn't experience as it started. Details aren't important, I made a long and ridiculous thread on it the day it happened, you can dig it up if you want. Other than that everythings good. Getting some new blueprints made up, house should be done in 9 months and we will be all squared away.

jon

iJon - it has been awhile. My PM (aside: purchased from iJon's family's apple reseller store) is still going strong. Typing this on it now. I put 2 gigs of RAM in it. At some point, I'll put a 128 ATI 9800 in to replace the 9000, faster hard drives, etc. (yrs from now on the HDs, but I'd like to put my large CD collection on an HD or two and keep it CD quality, so that'll take some space). I plan to use it as the main desktop for at least four or five more years (said now, we'll see what happens when the intel Macs come out).

I'll go dig up that thread later today - glad to hear everyone was okay and that new place is in the works.

shadowmoses

Jun 30, 2005, 04:09 AM

I would love to save my eMac but fear it would be far too heavy to lug down the stairs....Just have to let it burn :(

ShadOW :)

risc

Jun 30, 2005, 05:36 AM

If your house was on fire and your family was out safely, would you go back for your mac? I would...(sinking head in shame).

I'd let it all burn and claim it all on insurance... mmm new for old, it's all good!

Applespider

Jun 30, 2005, 05:49 AM

My dad's house burned down just after he and Mum separated. Unfortunately, we'd only moved out the bare minimum of belongings so we lost a lot of early pictures/toys/books that I'd been hoping to keep.

That's why I'd go back back for the Powerbook or grab the external HD from under the bed. I don't want to lose all my pictures and it's a good record of what books/cds I own; the rest is covered on insurance.

ahuman7341

Jun 30, 2005, 08:50 AM

Apple had this in mind when they satrted putting handles in their computers.

In the fire id hope that my 7 G3's would melt together and become somthing better.

I wouldnt really lose any important data, my fancy software is backed up on my iPoddy which is always in my pocket or the dock and would be easy to grab on the way out.

What i would truly lose is the style of the G3'S that i really love. Mac style has changed, not to the worse, (if you dont see pure beauty in a B&W powermac G3, i dont wanna talk to you.) but its different and there is nothing new to replace it.

debroglie

Jun 30, 2005, 10:36 AM

Sorry, I don't believe that as posted for a second.

Do you realize how hot a fire will have to be to melt a laptop at 10 feet? Anything that will melt a Dell at 10 feet is going to be plenty warm to generally mess up an iBook. Even if the outer shell was able to withstand heat for a bit, there is plenty inside the laptop that's going to be totally screwed.

I can't vouch for the validity of the anecdote, but that is what they said.

question fear

Jun 30, 2005, 11:22 AM

all i have to say is that i thought the house was on fire as the thread was being written....and i thought, wow, this definitely wins weirdest thread ever.

FoxyKaye

Jun 30, 2005, 11:55 AM

Cat under one arm, and a hastily unplugged iMac under the other... :p

Lacero

Jun 30, 2005, 11:58 AM

I would grab the PowerMac handle and rip it out of the burning house, leaving a trail of broken shorted wires. The HD is what I would want saved.

tsk

Jun 30, 2005, 02:03 PM

I can't vouch for the validity of the anecdote, but that is what they said.

I wasn't questioning you. I was questioning the validity of their statements.

53399

Jun 30, 2005, 04:09 PM

---

PCM

Jun 30, 2005, 04:22 PM

If your house was on fire and your family was out safely, would you go back for your mac? I would...(sinking head in shame).Funny thing is, i found myself in this exact situation a couple years back. My kitchen was on fire in my old apartment in NYC, it was 20 degrees outside and the only things I grabbed on my way out the door were my boxers and my g4 tower.

Luckily only the kitchen went up, but i was expecting the whole place to go (BTW the fire was caused when the oven malfunctioned while i was in the shower).

MacTruck

Jun 30, 2005, 04:48 PM

Funny thing is, i found myself in this exact situation a couple years back. My kitchen was on fire in my old apartment in NYC, it was 20 degrees outside and the only things I grabbed on my way out the door were my boxers and my g4 tower.

Luckily only the kitchen went up, but i was expecting the whole place to go (BTW the fire was caused when the oven malfunctioned while i was in the shower).

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!

Plymouthbreezer

Jul 1, 2005, 12:03 AM

jamesW135

Jul 1, 2005, 07:24 AM

Well to tell you the truth the cats would come out if i could find all of them and then the iBook... :)

iHacker

Jul 1, 2005, 12:25 PM

My iMac came with fireproof plastis and SUPER HEALING POWERS!!! HAHAHAHA!!

cleanup

Jul 2, 2005, 05:40 PM

Dear crazy people,

Your computer is worth more than your life?

You have your priorities really messed up.

EGT

Jul 2, 2005, 05:57 PM

Dear Newbie,

I think most people would do the intellectual thing and save themselves before saving anything else ... depending on the situation obviously. I think instinct would kick in :rolleyes:
My sister was involved in a house fire but luckily she, her son and fiance got out in time before the fire had spread to every room. He ran back in and saved some sentimental stuff and my sister computer! Fair play to him i say.

I don't think people would actually run through fire to save a computer. If my house was completely smothered in flames, i wouldn't go in to save anything.

Yours Faithfully,

EGT

Oh wait this isn't a letter ... d'oh!

PCM

Jul 3, 2005, 11:05 AM

Dear crazy people,

Your computer is worth more than your life?

You have your priorities really messed up.in my situation, I couldn't have cared less about the actual computer itself. However, the 1,000's of photographs, design jobs, and music tracks on the hard drive....those ARE my life.