Just a Warning

[verjoy]

Some of you may have older relatives with vision problems.

Four or five years ago we bought my Mom and FIL each a floor lamp that provides high intensity flourescent light. We bought the extra magnifying glass attachment for them because they both have macular degeneration. Mom used hers all the time. Tuesday afternoon the sun came through the window and the magnifying glass and started her leather recliner headrest on fire and nearly burned down the house!

Thank God Mom had gone into the kitchen and was not sitting in the chair. She also wears hearing aids and did not realize right away that the smoke alarms were sounding.

The den and its contents are destroyed, and she had an extensive collection of vintage ceramics that is probably "toast". Smoke and water damage throughout the house. My 87 yr old Mom is displaced from her home of 51 yrs, that she always keeps so clean and updated.

I think State Farm is going to go against (or subrogate) the claim to the lamp manufacturer.

The STL fire dept. lieutenant agreed as to the cause, but said he had never seen a magnifying glass start a house fire before.

I know it could have been a lot worse.

[mrsb]

WOW! I am glad your parents are ok. That is really a freaky thing to happen. I had a guy call in once about his fish tank heater starting a fire. Be careful out there.

[Connie]

Verjoy...the same thing happened to us, but it was a magnifier used for my Grandmother in front of her TV. Think of it as a huge magnifying glass on a stand you sit in front of the TV. She had really bad eyesite.

We had it in our garage for years and then one day my husband and his friend went in to get something and moved it in just the right position for the sun.

Sure enough, it's set up just right to set some boxes on fire. We were in the house and didn't even know the garage was on fire until somebody banged on my door to call the fire department.

I'm glad that nobody was hurt and things can be replaced, but it's definetly that magnifying glass.

Our insurance did pay and they were amazed that it happened that way.

[California Girl]

I use a magnifying glass on a flexible gooseneck when I make jewelry. I remember from being a kid and burning holes leaves and frying pill bugs with a cereal box magnifying glass that it can start a fire, so I always cover my glass when I'm not using it. I move it around all the time, and who knows when the sun will come through the window at just the right angle?

[verjoy]

My husband, neice and I spent the afternoon taking pictures and cataloging the fire and smoke damaged collectibles.

She had 90 of the lady head vases from the 1950's and 60's. Many are not replaceable, and the others run from $50-$300 each.

I feel badly about it because a couple of months ago Mom showed me a place on the chair where the magnifier had singed it. Because she uses it so much I didn't take it away, I just said to be careful.

Now the investigator the insurance company sent said it was a power strip right next to the chair that caused the fire. Mom and I still think it was the magnifying glass though. It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise, and the back of the chair was completely consumed.

We hope she will be back in her home by Saturday. I hope the contractor finishes plastering the holes in the ceiling and replaces the hardwood floors and paints by the time we go to STJ in June! I may be too optimistic.

Thanks everyone for letting me vent.

[Teresa_Rae]

Verjoy, how is the clean up going? Will it be done by the time you leave for STJ?

[greyhoundmom]

Verjoy, I'm so sorry to hear about the fire at your mom's house. What a terrible shock it must have been to her when she realized what was happening. We have older parents also; 87 and 83 and know how everything "slows down" when they are that age. Who would have thought a magnifying glass and the sun's rays would start such a fire? I am sorry for the loss of all your mom's collectibles. Thanks goodness she is alright and the damage was not extensive. Thinking about you during this hard time.......

Jan

[verjoy]

Thanks for the inquiries.

We moved Mom back into her house the 21st of May. The fire room had been plastered and painted, but the window was still boarded up. The window was special order and will be put in tomorrow. They completely replaced the hardwood floor in that room, it was supposed to be finished today.

The loss on the collectibles totaled about $3500 alone. Mom is doing amazingly well, and even somewhat excited about the whole house being painted, and new furniture. She is back to going swimming at the Y twice a week.

So everything is winding up just in time for us to go to STJ!

YAY!

[Teresa_Rae]

That's great Verjoy! I'm glad you had a happy ending to something that could have been really awful.

[Berlingirl]

Sorry to hear of your mom's loss. I'm glad she is excited now about the redecoration and reconstruction. I hope State Farm was good to you. We had a catastrophic home loss last year and they were very good to work with.

Have a great trip!