Great Bags of Fire!

So last night after watching “24,” my sweet hubby, Mr. Perfect, got up to stoke the fire.  When he opened the doors, some ashes fell out and what looked to me like quite a few embers.   He usually takes the little broom and shovel and sweeps them up and throws them  back in the fire.  Then he will take the vacuum and suck up all the little things he missed.

As I jumped up to run for a potty break, Mr. Perfect was bringing the vacuum around by the fire.   I swear it had only been less than a minute,  I was rounding the corner and my house smelled like something was burning and it was full of smoke.  Also, there was this draft of cold air billowing in.  I looked to my left to see my front door opened, the vacuum on outside the door with Mr. Perfect kneeling there.  

At this point, I did what any good wife would do.  First, I said, “please don’t tell me you sucked up the embers and started the vacuum bag on fire!”  To which he pointed to the vacuum bag laying on the sidewalk in the rain and mumbled something about him saving us all and it really didn’t burst into flames.

Second, I ran and grabbed my camera because, let’s face it, this was funny!  And for some reason it always delights me to catch Mr. Perfect in a not-so-perfect moment since I seemed to be ladened with them.  And really, his stuff is FUNNY!

By now the comments are coming in quickly, one child thinks that we will die from second hand smoke.  Doodle Bug said our house smelled like a Vegas Casino.  They were trying to open doors and windows, but it was pretty cold outside and that really defeated the purpose of the fireplace in keeping the house warm.  So I sprayed some Lysol.  To which another commented, “Great now it smells like Lysol AND smoke!  It pretty much permeated the house.  I’m hoping all of our clothes don’t smell like smoke now!

Here’s the bag laying in the rain, smoltering.

Can’t you see that smoke rising out of it, even in the rain?

And here’s a couple of more views of the bag.

If we would have been staying at a hotel, we would have requested another room!  It was so awful, I had to stick my head under the covers so I could fall asleep!

This morning there is still a little lingering smell of smoke.  And here’s what happened overnight.  In the rain.  While I slept.

It’s a good thing Mr. Perfect saved us!  And hopefully now,  he’s learned his lesson.  DO NOT suck up embers into your vacuum.  Hot embers + lint+ paper vacuum bag + a great sucking scoop of oxygen = smoltering vacuum bag fire.

At least our smoke alarm didn’t go off.  Now THAT would have been embarrassing!

Good job, students, now you’ve had your fire safety lesson for today!