A woman on TikTok is warning people about the dangers of running household appliances at night after her dishwasher caused a house fire.
“This is your cue to NOT run the dishwasher at night,” Simone Patrice wrote above a video of her fire-damaged home in a video posted Wednesday, Aug. 7. “Also check your smoke detectors. Make sure they work. Like now, go check.”
Simone’s video began in the kitchen, focusing on the destroyed dishwasher, which was surrounded by black soot. Later she turned to show the ceiling, which was also black with soot. Her white cabinets and floor also had a layer of black soot over them.
The text above the video explains that the day before Simone posted the video, her dishwasher “broke and started a house fire.” The family’s smoke alarm went off at 1:25 a.m., and two minutes later their “whole house was filled with smoke,” she wrote.
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Simone said she didn’t hear the smoke alarm when she did and woke up, “we wouldn’t have been able to get out.”
“The smoke was too thick,” she continued in the text over the video. “We didn’t have time to grab anything but our kids and get out. Our smoke detectors saved our lives.”
A close-up view of the dishwasher.
Simone Patrice/TikTok
Simone also showed her followers that doors, windows and rooms other than her kitchen were damaged by the fire.
According to the video, Simone and her family were celebrating her daughter’s fourth birthday the day before the fire. Remnants of the celebration including balloons, toys on the floor and decorations could be seen in the video as she walked through her living room and dining room areas.
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Fire damage.
Simone Patrice/TikTok
“Otherwise, our walls were white… everything in the whole house is covered in soot. [It’s] it’s hard to breathe here. You can’t live right now,” Simone wrote.
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Smoke traveled through vents to other rooms in the house.
Simone Patrice/TikTok
“Don’t turn on appliances at night. Washer, dryer, dishwasher…nothing. [It’s] it’s not worth it. It CAN happen. I’m grateful to be alive,” is the last message on the video.
Simone’s comments were full of messages of support, with some people thanking her for the important reminder to check their smoke detectors.
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Ceiling damage.
Simone Patrice/TikTok
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom and outside of every sleeping area in the home. There should also be one on each level of the house.
Families should ensure that any smoke alarm meets the needs of everyone living in the home, including people with sensory or physical impairments.
Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month by pressing the “test” button, and should be replaced every 10 years or when they stop responding.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education