Fire!

Three years ago, after purchasing Alpine, we attended our first FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) Rally in Pomona, California. It was a learning experience with a steep curve because although we have RV'd since 2001, the Alpine was our first Class A motorhome and far more complicated than Eurovan or Rialta. We attended every seminar we could to gain knowledge about taking care of both the house and the engine. It felt like going to school -  there was so much to learn. 
(https://alpine36adventures.blogspot.com/2015/03/fmcas-rally-at-fairplex-in-pomona-march.html)  

One of the seminars was about fire safety put on by Mac the Fireman. In fact, after hearing him talk and give examples from real-life situations, I was traumatized. The reality is that escaping out of a burning home is a lot different than out of a burning RV. The average time we have to exit our coach is 20 seconds! The larger the RV, the more time you have  - but only by a couple of seconds. Mac also claimed that the second person escaping would likely incur burns and recommended that while the first person is climbing out the exit window, the second one ought to be dousing face and arms with a foam spray.  
I volunteered for the class demonstration to climb out a coach window at one of the seminars. It is not quick or easy. And with time a factor, there really is no room for mistakes. 

A couple of Alpine friends have experienced a motorhome fire. It started in their tow car while they were driving, and by the time they realized what was happening and were able to stop and evacuate, the fire had spread to the coach.  The car was destroyed and the coach was damaged, but at least they were able to get out and walk away. 

Coming south through Oregon this past fall, we passed a burned coach and tow along the side of the highway. The fire truck was still there putting out flames on the side of the road. It was sobering to see. It reminded me yet again how important it is to be aware and prepared. 

In January while we were at the Arizonian RV Resort, there was an actual coach fire! We heard emergency vehicles that evening, but did not realize they were heading for our RV park. It wasn't until the next morning that a quilting friend asked me if I was aware of the coach fire. Thankfully the owners who come down here for several months were away on a cruise, and left the coach plugged in, slides retracted, water off...everything most of us do when we leave our homes on wheels for a period of time. The owners were due to return for the remainder of the winter season the following day. 
This is what they returned to:

The stench was overpowering. The scene terrifying. I think the entire park walked around the burned-out coach in a daze, thankful that the owners were safe, that no one was hurt. Neighbors had dragged the owners' tow vehicle out into the street and saved it.  Someone mentioned that the owner had replaced the coach house batteries a couple of weeks earlier, and that seemed to be the source of the fire.  He described how the 6 rear tires burned and exploded as the high pressure was released.
Interspersed among the RVs are park model homes. The ones behind the burning coach and next door were also extremely fortunate. Their siding was scorched and a couple of window frames had melted.  Thanks to the quick action of the fire fighters on the scene, they prevented the fire from spreading, and damage to neighboring homes was minimal. 
Mac the Fireman's seminar was foremost on my mind after seeing the RV carcass. It was not scare tactics that motivated him to warn RVers or urge them to have an escape strategy and to ensure that all fire alarms worked. We follow his advice: our backpacks, filled with wallets, glasses, car keys and phones are stowed on our bedside tables every night, ready to throw out the window; we have an emergency pack in the Jeep with a set of clothing and shoes. 
We hope that we never need to face or escape a fire in our home on wheels. Most RVers never do. But just in case, we will hopefully be prepared to know what to do. And hopefully as I navigate my way through the bedroom emergency window, my leg won't get stuck as it did when I was climbing out the RV window at the FMCA rally.