Fire in the Building

Who would have thought that I  experienced fire in the building. 

This is my first time living in an appartement. Of course I never chose appartement when living in Indonesia because it’s a real high risk when the earthquake happen. But here we are placed in an appartement. What got me relieved the first time that we are in the lowest floor so if something happen we will be quickly evacuated. 

That’s what I thought. 

Until it really happened. 

We slept around midnight and abruptly woken up by the noise outside. I thought it was the drunk people just got back from night club or the restaurant next door was doing some deep cleaning. So loud that I had to wake up.

My husband peeked outside and immediately said “fire brigade outside, you wait here!” I was just “am I dreaming or what?” I put on clothes, checked outside and saw a few of fire trucks. I checked the other side of the appartement and saw a few of police cars and ambulances. 

“Oh no, something serious must have happened.”

Texted my husband that I saw across the room, asked if everything ok. And started to grab important things; phone, pad, laptop, documents. Others can wait. He rushed back, and told me to grab important things and put on proper clothes. It was 2 degrees outside. So yes, winter coat and all. 

Since we live with his other colleagues in the same building, he had to inform them all even with a note; THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Because they had to do a lot of drills for work situation kinda thing so yeaa. 

We did not hear the fire alarm too. Though at some point the fire fighters started banging the doors.

Put my stuff in my backpack, took my handbag with me too. Husband handed me mask. Opened the door and it smelled smoke. And started to run downstair. Well, advised not to run btw but I was shocked. Not even 100% awake yet. So I slipped on the stairs down because the fire hose was already on the emergency exit and they started to walk upstairs. Luckily did not sprained my ankle. Just hurt a little. 

Then we wait outside. We woke up around 04.05, started to pack and got ready and be outside around 04.10. Looked up and saw the fire just damn! It was my first time seeing real fire like that. 

Luckily the fire was contained and extinguished within an hour or two. We were allowed to go in around 6.30ish. Then the power went off for like 6-7 hours. 

When we went back in, it smelled like I went to korean bbq restaurant. We have no idea what caused it. Although it looked like something not that dangerous but it was my first time and this real life situation really leaving us important lessons.

1. Always have a grab bag! A bag where you have everything important to take when something bad happens. 

2. Always use a traditional key/lock and not a digital one. 

3. Never changes the stove to the electric one because when they turn off the power, we can’t even make coffee to wake us up. Not that it is the most important thing, just saying.

4. Put all devices on full batteries! 

5. Cleaned the kitchen the night before because when we see them messy in the morning it just adds more stress.

6. So be neat as well. In case you need to grab other important things, you’d be quick to find it. Keep the documents secured somewhere. Lucky we have our documents kept in Bali.

7. Be responsible to your own things. My husband grabbed his, I grabbed mine. So no need to ask “have you seen my…?”

Luckily it was not dangerous, though the whole appartement seems gone. But damn! Such a priceless experience I shared with my husband.