I don’t talk about this often, but I think it’s important enough to share.
In February of 2023, our home caught fire in the middle of the night. By the time the smoke alarm at the top of the stairs woke us up, the other side of the house was already fully engulfed. The entire upstairs was filled with thick black smoke. We each grabbed a child and got out as fast as we could — we’re talking seconds, not minutes.
My wife has said more than once that if we had slept five more minutes, we wouldn’t be here.
I’m not sharing this to be dramatic. I’m sharing it because I’ve sat across the table from hundreds of homeowners over the years, and fire safety almost never comes up in the conversation — until it has to. As someone who helps families find and protect their homes, I feel like it’s my responsibility to say something.
Here’s what we learned, and what I want every homeowner in Middle Tennessee to know.
1. Your Smoke Alarm Placement Matters More Than You Think
The alarm that woke us up was at the top of the staircase landing — not inside the bedrooms. We were lucky it was enough. But fire codes and safety experts recommend smoke detectors inside every sleeping room, not just in hallways. If a fire starts on the opposite end of your home, a hallway detector may not give you the seconds you need.
What to do: Test your detectors monthly. Replace batteries at least once a year. And if your detectors are more than ten years old, replace them entirely — the sensors degrade over time.
2. Fire Moves Faster Than You Can Think
People imagine they’ll have time to grab their phone, their wallet, their kids’ baby books. They won’t. We had time to grab our children and nothing else. My phone melted on my nightstand. Our car, parked against the house, was destroyed by the heat before we could get the keys.
Fire doesn’t give you a moment to reconsider.
What to do: Practice your exit plan with your family — including your kids — so that when the alarm goes off, muscle memory takes over. Pick a meeting spot outside and make sure everyone knows it. Don’t go back in for anything.
3. Smoke Is the First Enemy
Before we saw a single flame upstairs, we were blinded by smoke. I cannot overstate how disorienting that is at 4:30 in the morning. You cannot see, you can barely breathe, and your brain doesn’t want to believe what’s happening.
What to do: Practice getting low and moving fast. Smoke rises, so staying low gives you slightly cleaner air. If a door feels hot, don’t open it — use a secondary exit. And if you have two stories, consider keeping a fire escape ladder in an upstairs bedroom.
4. If You Store Firearms and Ammunition, Have a Plan
This one surprised a lot of people who heard our story. Within minutes of getting outside, our stored ammunition began going off from the heat on the other end of the house. We had to move the children further into the yard to get clear. Firefighters are trained for this situation, but it was something we hadn’t thought through.
What to do: Store ammunition in a fire-resistant safe designed for that purpose. Let your local fire department know if you store significant quantities — some departments note this information for emergency responders.
5. Make Sure Your Address Is Visible From the Road
Our home was set back in a location that was difficult to find. The firefighters took longer than they should have to locate us. In an emergency, every second counts.
What to do: Make sure your house numbers are clearly posted and visible from the street — especially at night. If you live on a rural road or have a long driveway, consider reflective address markers at the end of the drive.
6. Back Up What You Can’t Replace
We lost everything sentimental. Years of photos, keepsakes, things that belonged to people we’ve loved and lost. The physical structure can be rebuilt. Those things cannot.
What to do: Store important documents (insurance policies, deeds, birth certificates) in a fireproof safe or digitally in a secure cloud backup. For photos and home videos, an external hard drive stored offsite — at a family member’s home or a safety deposit box — can save memories that no insurance policy will cover.
7. Know Your Homeowner’s Insurance Before You Need It
When you’re standing in a hotel room with nothing but the clothes you were handed by a neighbor, the last thing you want to be doing is figuring out your coverage. We were grateful for the help of the Red Cross and the generosity of people around us — but understanding your policy, your deductible, and your additional living expense coverage ahead of time makes an already devastating situation at least slightly more manageable.
What to do: Call your insurance agent once a year for a policy review. Make sure your coverage reflects the current value of your home and its contents. If you haven’t done a home inventory, even a simple video walkthrough of your home — emailed to yourself — can help substantiate a claim.
A Final Word
We got out. Our kids were safe. Our cat, Brody, was resuscitated by the firefighters after they found him — they gave him oxygen for over ten minutes before he came back. We were surrounded by neighbors, community, and kindness when we had nothing. That part of the story is one I’m deeply grateful for.
But I don’t want another family in Wilson County or anywhere in Middle Tennessee to have to learn these lessons the hard way.
Check your smoke detectors this week. Walk your family through your exit plan. Take five minutes to back up your photos. These are small things — until they’re not.
If you have questions about fire safety features to look for when buying a home, or how to think through insurance coverage as part of your purchase, I’m always happy to talk. That’s what I’m here for.
— Thomas R. Miller | Miller Land & Luxury | Benchmark Realty
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