Today was a scary day. As most of yaw know I barely cook. Today I decided to make a beef stew recipe my mom gave me. It said to cover the bottom of a deep saucepan with oil. So I did. To brown the beef,

Then I turned it on high. And like an idiot I walked away and went in my room.

I came out a few minutes later and as I was walking I heard something thought it was rushing water. A second later the fire detectors started beeping. I knew it was flames 🔥 I heard not running water.

I ran to the kitchen saw the flaming pot on the stove. The house quickly filled with smoke 💨 as I was yelling- screaming really – at the kids to get out of the house.

My phone was in the Smokey house i had no clue where it was. I was panicked. I screamed at the kid’s to get help to run to the neighbors and get help. They looked at me like I was crazy! They never knocked at a strangers door in their life. They just stood there.

My neighbor came from next door and handed me his phone to call the cops. I took it but I could not function because my house was about to burn. I threw it back and said,”you call! I can’t.”

Then I said , “my cats are in the house what do I do?”

I ran back into the house to get the fire extinguisher the people who lived here before left behind.

I tryed using it it was empty!! Imagine that Fucken empty!!

I screamed like a maniac some more. My neighbor said, “it’s oil -so if you throw a towel over it -it will just get on fire.”

He said, “the only thing you can do is throw the flaming pan out of the house, that’s what I’d do”

I was in fight or flight.

I ran in the house grabbed the mit pot holders and screamed for him to hold open my screen door.

I ran out the house with a flaming pot. Like a foot high flames!

The flames were in my face. Yet I am NOT burned.

Just As I went outside the door with the flaming pan, the wind blew the flames away from my face but towards my hands.

I quickly flung the hot pan toward the lawn. It landed on a yellow lawn chair and burned a whole right through it.

The light/fan above the stove was still on fire. I had to contain it but how? It was about to get into my attic. I was scared as shit!!

A neighbor ran bringing me his fire extinguisher and handed it to me. I said “I don’t know how to do it.”

He said, “I’m sorry I’m not going near there!”

I took snatched it and someone said pull the red thing-

I pulled it and aimed and foamed the shit out of the fire.

The police and firefighters were on their way but the house was covered in smoke and my cats were still inside. Smoke inhalation I thought!! I’ve got to get them out.

I covered my face and ran back in the house I opened all the windows and doors. I still couldn’t see where my phone was. I desperately needed it.

I went back outside. Xavier whose 7 was crying he rushed and hugged me and asked me “please mommy never cook again. Let dad cook!”

The fire department arrived. I explained all of this.

One fireman after hearing my story said I was brave and asked if I wanted to join their fire team.

I told him I can’t I’m a felon.

Another fireman told me that all I needed to do with a pan with flaming oil was to cover it with a lid. Simple as that.

Further he said I could have gotten severely burned or dropped the flaming pan and caught the whole house on fire.

I kept saying I don’t usually cook.

I know I must have seemed so naive. A 47 year old should know these things. I wanted to explain I was in prison my whole life I honestly don’t know.

But they were nice and very helpful.

The worst part was after the firemen left I still couldn’t find one of my cats. Tiny the same one I lost for three days last summer.

I thought Tiny must have gotten out. So here I was thinking because of me being because careless and leaving the stove unattended I lost Tiny.

So for like three hours after the fire I spent looking for my cat. I was crying.

I even put a post saying my cat might be missing or he might just be hiding on my neighborhood Facebook page East mountain. My neighbors agreed to be on the look out.

Thank God my neighbor and friend came and took the kids to her house to play with her daughter. Atleast the kids were distracted.

I text my neighbor who had them and told her my cat was missing.

She texted back, “Ooooh babe I’m so sorry.
Prayer is powerful”

I remembered to pray!!

I prayed and begged a bit.

At 8:36 pm Tiny came out of hiding and graced me with his fluffy little presence. He was in the basement somewhere hidden good!

When Xavier came back he said, “mom that was my first time seeing a real fire.” I said, “mine too I was scared as hell.” He said, “mom it actually looked like that word!”

I said “I know. And mommy could have gotten really burned, I can’t explain why I’m not burned.”

Xavier walked in the bathroom and said, “Mom maybe cause you been in jail and stuff and had a lot of bad things that already happened to you- God didn’t let you get burned. He protected you!”

That’s exactly what happened-I’m quite sure. Thank God for bringing us through unscathed!!