# My First Home Invasion !!!



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I had the strangest thing happen to me a few hours ago. I was sound asleep. I sleep pretty hard, plus I use a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure ) pump for sleep apnea, so there is a lot of white noise around me. I hear banging on my door, and by the time I could get to it they were in! I saw sledge hammers coming though it! I yelled - and they yelled back...fire department. For those not aware, when the fire department comes in they take control and basically told me to get out of the way. Neighbors had seen smoke coming from my attic, and called the fire department. Next they use the stairway to go into my attic, and promptly put a huge fire boot through the sheetrock into my bedroom, along with a lot of insulation, some of which fell on my bed. Guess what folks? No fire! Two different firemen tell me "I have been in this 30 years, and this is a first." My guess is that the moisture from the rain was steaming on my house, but I don't know. My neighbors, and the fire department too, were doing what they thought was right.

But, I sit here with a destroyed front door, a huge hole in my ceiling, not to mention the glass they broke near a latch on my front window. Some of the firemen sheepishly admired all the deer antlers from bow & arrow hunts. Several of them also were very curious in all the equipment in my garage for making the Shadslinger White Bass Slabs and Striper Special Slabs. None of it burned up, Loy, LOL!

Surprisingly, I am not actually upset; shocked would describe it better. They were doing what they _thought_ was right at least. What if there had been a fire? Would I have just laid there and been overcome with smoke? The firemen mentioned that they were glad none of them were shot. I admitted I had a CHL, and that a gun was very handy to me. When I yelled at them, I still had several seconds to have grabbed a gun before they got in. But they yelled back fire department, and I believed them, and unlocked the double dead bolt before they destroyed any more of my door. I never felt fear for my life, so I did not grab a gun.

*WBF*


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## Tex 79 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hell of a way to be woke up!! I'm glad everything was o.k.


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## JWRIGHT (Apr 6, 2006)

*Wow*

Wow, could have been a bad deal. Good job keeping your head while coming out of a dead sleep. Did you see any lights flashing thru the windows?


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

JWRIGHT said:


> Did you see any lights flashing thru the windows?


No, I did not see the lights through the window at first because I had the lights on inside in that part of the house. Plus, I have my yard so well lit up that you could mow at midnight. There were at least 5 vehicles responding though, mainly fire trucks with at least 1 ambulance. I saw equipment from at least 2 different stations. However, the number of voices I heard, and what was being said, made me believe them to be firemen. Not only my neighbors who called it in, but also the firemen were fooled, obviously. Several of them were actually wearing their Scott Air Masks as they came in and went into the attic.

*WBF*


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## ronniewelsh (Feb 3, 2011)

WOW! I dont know if that was good luck or bad luck!Either way I think you win story of the week. Im glad everything is okay.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Wow, what a way to way up... I don't know what we'd do without those guys. Try coffee in the morning... less expensive. Good luck with your repairs, it could have been much worse!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

????!!!!Better than a5 hour energy drink for kick starting your ticker! They were problablly just trying to get some SS slabs on the cheap, "Hey we were going to save your life, so how about a few of them there slabs?".


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## SwampRat (Jul 30, 2004)

Neighbor knows how to float Sheetrock?


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

Glad to hear there was no fire in the end.

A house across the street from us burned to the ground. Fire started on back deck, got into attic through soffit. Occupants never knew the house was on fire until the chiminey collapsed through the roof knocking the ceiling down, letting the fire drop through into the living room. I talked with the incident commander that morning who told me it's common for fires to exist in the attic and no one know until it's too late. The following Monday I put a smoke alarm in our attic tied into our central alarm.

May be overkill but for only $30 I don't mind.


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## bcosf (Mar 5, 2006)

So who pays for all the damage??


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Wow! What a story, glad all turned out ok!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

bcosf said:


> So who pays for all the damage??


They said they would turn it over to the city legal department, but I won't hold my breath.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Unbelievable story. At least they didn't come in with hoses blazing.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Glad you are safe. I know how scary that can be.
When my son was in Pre K many years age the local VFD came to the school and gave them a safety talk.
They told them if they saw a fire in their house they should dial 911.
Well sure enough my wife lit the spacer heater that evening for the first time that year.
You guessed it. It is 10 PM and my insurance agent, the local chief, and all of his volunteers are surrounding my house. Scared the begeezus out of my wife. 
Thank goodness is was just a five year old learning about his duty when he saw that new fire in his house.
Needless to say I made a nice contribution to the next VFD fund raiser.
I really could not scold him. But two weeks later he did get in a pile of trouble for calling Pizza hut and ordering five large pizzas late one evening. But that is another story.


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## bearwhiz (Jan 30, 2011)

Maybe for the sake of shortening a long story some details may have been omitted but after 18 years in the fire dept. I am having some issues as to this departments way of doing things. Parts of it makes no sense to me. Oh well, lets hear some more about the 5 large pizzas the kid ordered.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

bearwhiz said:


> Maybe for the sake of shortening a long story some details may have been omitted but after 18 years in the fire dept. I am having some issues as to this departments way of doing things. Parts of it makes no sense to me. Oh well, lets hear some more about the 5 large pizzas the kid ordered.


No, it is a true story. I can understand neighbors not being able to tell it was just steam due to the earlier rain, but I can't understand the fire department not being able to tell. I bet everybody that has read this has seen a roof steam from rain.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

bearwhiz said:


> Maybe for the sake of shortening a long story some details may have been omitted but after 18 years in the fire dept. I am having some issues as to this departments way of doing things. Parts of it makes no sense to me. Oh well, lets hear some more about the 5 large pizzas the kid ordered.


How is this relevant to this story?


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## big-john (Jan 6, 2011)

I expect my local FD to know the difference between steam/water vapor and smoke.Mistakes are one thing incompetence is another.


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## stickman (Apr 17, 2012)

WBF sorry to hear you had a not so nice time with the FD. As a fireman I say thanks for being understanding. As a member of a paid department I have been on the VFD side also. The VFD do the best they can with what the have. Training and experience often lacking. DO NOT GET ME WRONG I love the VFD just some tough facts. So once again thank you for looking at the more positive side.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

stickman said:


> WBF sorry to hear you had a not so nice time with the FD. As a fireman I say thanks for being understanding. As a member of a paid department I have been on the VFD side also. The VFD do the best they can with what the have. Training and experience often lacking. DO NOT GET ME WRONG I love the VFD just some tough facts. So once again thank you for looking at the more positive side.


This was Houston FD. I am alive and not hurt. My house is inhabitable and did not burn. I work in a refinery and see a lot of steam, it can be tricky.


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## oilfish (Jan 23, 2010)

WBF, Sorry it happened! What a way to wake up. Glad everyone is Safe and Sound.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Good intentions, but not so good a happening. That must have been quite an experience. Sounds like you handled it very well, WBF, for which I'm not surprised.


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## Sharky2012 (Mar 23, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the damage, but at least it wasn't from fire. 
I know a guy who had a very similiar story, only it was the police department not the fire department. Albert and his wife had just finished dinner and was sitting down watching TV. All of a sudden several cops bust in the front door and order everyone on the floor. The cops searched (destroyed) the house and then received a call they had the WRONG house. They didn't even apologize!!!


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## OUTLAW (May 26, 2004)

Sorry to hear that but like you say, at least it wasn't a bad outcome. man, not sure really what to say about it.


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## KingTut (May 19, 2005)

WBF, what a story! You need a big dog! Before I used a CPAP I'd be awake at every sound, but now I sleep deep and hard. Bombs could go off and I wouldn't hear a thing. I rely on a 105lb Weimer to wake me when something is in need of attention. 

I'm thinkin' call your homeowner's insurance and let them sort things out with the FD and the City after your house is back in order. Glad to hear it was a false alarm and good on you for taking the high road on all this. Personally cops and fireman can do no wrong in my eyes either! They're the reason I'm able to sleep so sound.


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## onyourlimit (Jun 30, 2006)

I was 2 seconds from calling 911 for my neighbors once when I seen smoke billowing up over his house. Turns out he had his fogger lit up and was smoking the bugs out of flower gardens.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

just "lucky" I guess (no fire)


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

I know that its bad news...but...
Friday 13th a fire did break out in my sisters trailer.....the whole trailer was gutted. she came running down to my cabin about daybreak telling me her trailer was on fire. thank god nobody was hurt..and by the time I got to the trailer it was blazes. the fire dept arrived about 10 min. later and put the fire out quickly. They did a great job. Maybe embarrassing...but next time it could be real.


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