What’s wrong with flashlights?
Candles.
It had to be candles.
Last week, here in Brooklyn, NY, a building with over sixty apartments caught fire, causing the tenants, some of whom lived there for over 30 years, to lose their homes. In the days which followed, each news article I read about the plight of those who suffered the loss of their homes contained a similar quote;
“We’ve lost everything. I don’t know how we are going to recover from this.”
To his credit, Jumaane Williams , the NYC Coucilmember for the 45th District, immediately held a clothing drive for those affected at a local church. Other people stepped up to aid individual families. So, having regained the ability to type and write after an injury to my hand while moving my office, I began working diligently to put together a fiery blog post addressing each renter’s need for owning a Renters Insurance policy.
And then, last night, the Fire Marshalls from the New York City Fire Department announced the cause of the fire which destroyed so many lives. Candles placed around a bed during a religious ceremony for luck which allegedly included sex.
No, I am not lying. Candles around a bed. Religious ceremony. Sex.
I guess that’s what they mean by hot sex.
Whatever happened to sex in the dark?
Supposedly, the bed caught fire (from the candles, I imagine), and instead of calling 911, the persons involved attempted to douse the fire using water from the sink.
Here’s a lesson from my own experiences with fires – Fire will not wait for you to kill it with water from the kitchen or bathroom sink.
Then, to top it off, they allegedly opened a window and door, thinking the fire would be dissipated by the extra air. On a night when the wind was gusting up 50 miles per hour.
Fire lesson number two: The more you fan the flames, the larger the conflagration. More air, gusting air, more fire, greater destruction.
Don’t believe me? Rent or buy a copy of director Ron Howard’s 1991 movie, Backdraft. Robert De Niro played a Fire Marshall in that one. His character, and the movie in general made me believe in the concept of thinking and living flame, an entity which hungers and feeds.
Can’t you just see what housing applications will look like in the future? There will be questions about religious practices, and the use of candles during same and/or during sexual intercourse.
Don’t laugh. I know I would demand any renter of any apartment or commercial space sign an addendum to the lease which would include an agreement to not use candles under any circumstance. And, they would also agree to keep at least two (2) working fire extinguishers in their apartment.
The next post will deal with Renters Insurance and other tools every renter should own. And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the “Ten Reasons” series.
Just had to wait for my hand to heal.
