Fire Incidents that Leads me to Severe Anxiety

Fire Incidents

Last April 5, 2021, after my shift at work, around 6pm,I was eager to come home immediately. As I went home, while resting, my dog Unnie started to scratch my arms. I tried to stop here but I observed she is panicking. Then I heard loud sounds from the outside that I checked through the window. Everyone was in a hurry, running and screaming "fire". I wake up my mother and sister that were sleeping that time and I went outside to check where the fire is located. It was very near to our house, just blocks away I guess. I hurried home to tell my family they need to get their important documents and clothes. I brought the cats and puppies in the cage and I rescue them first. I only put my money and my mobile phone on my mini bag and I carry it all the time.

Imagine the fear everyone was feeling. In the background we can hear the explosions from the fire, the sirens from the fire truck, people panicking, dogs barking. My mine was focused on rescuing my pets and my documents. My mother and nephew were already at our relatives nearby. Me, my sister and brother were salvaging whatever we can salvage.

Then my wisdom told me that the fire will not reach us. There is someone telling me that we will be saved. I went back and forth to the location of the fire, from time to time and I realised, its right. I assumed the fire was under control in less than 2 hours. Everyone came back to their houses with a weak legs and very tired mind.

That is the scene we were seeing while we were running in and out of the house salvaging our pets and things. Who will not get panic? I was really scared. It was hot and we can't breathe anymore, but still we need to save everything we can save.

Anxiety After

It is understandable that everyone from the family will get scared and worry about it. I worry more. In fact, it triggers my anxiety that I do not entertain anymore. I thought I ble to fight it but I didn't.

I started to worry. I started to feel what ifs. What if I did not went home early or immediately. What if I didn't rescue my pets and they were left at home. It was really creepy and cringe feeling that I don't want to imagine. That night, I cannot sleep. I can still smell the burnt wood and a mix of electrical wires burning. I can still hear the sirens though all the fire volunteer were gone. The fire keep on playing in my mind. I was really scared.

That fire Incidents doesn't stop there. Just this July, July 2 to be exact another fire Incident happened. I remember I was ay work from home set up and my shift just ended. My dog Unnie scratched my arms again and I saw the fear in her eyes.

I checked from the window and there were people shouting "there is a smoke!!". I wake up my mother and sister again and I went out to check where the fire is located.

I captured this photo in the middle of me praying that the fire will be control immediately. It is 3 houses away from us. There is one house that is burning. Everyone from the neighborhood was splashing water. I bring out our hose to help with the water supply. The fire volunteer quickly responded. In less than an hour, one house was the only one affected and it was controlled.

Again, the se scenario I did to rescue my family, but this time my sister had a cramp and it was difficult for her to come out. I was really scared to leave her there so what I did was to stand by, do not show how I panic in the inside and watch until the fire is controlled.

As I brought home my pets, they were all in trauma. I don't know how to calm them. A little while, they were okay but not my dog Unnie.

The same scenario and same anxiety I felt while sleeping that night. I tosses and turned in bed. I don't understand why the fire happened again. The trauma is thrice to what I felt last April 5.

There were lots of images of fire in my mind. What if the fire reaches us? No. No. No. I just prayed to God to calm my mind and be brave. I was thankful that we are saved but really traumatized.

That does not conclude the story yet, another fire happened July 4 at 2 in the moening, just at the back of our house but it was controlled immediately. I told my family I will check the fire is and will call them if we need to evacuate. I saw smoke at the back of our house and the Baranggay officials were very quick. They able to control the fire. In less than 5 minutes it is gone. I called my family and told them it was okay to stay.

I didn't get some sleep. The sun was out when I became tired of entertaining my anxiety. Those events are a nightmare to me. Nightmare because I am not ready for that emergency. I know I can rescue every pets, and the documents are always there to get picked, but I don't have the money. Or maybe I have but it is not enough.

Anxiety Again

I think being scared is normal to me, but I am a person who always fight and will always be strong for my family. It is just that I am not ready for emergency money, for calamities, and for the things that we cannot control. However, those series of events made me make a contingency plan.

The Plan

I am scared because I don't have plans. I scared because I am not there with my family all the time. When things like this happens, I want myself to be there for my family. I want to be of help and the one that will saves them. I realize I need to prepare for this. I came out with a plan.

I told my sister, that no everytime things like that happens, they need to call me. I will leave the office immediately and will be flying home. I will be there no matter what.

I delegate a budget for mobile load for my family, so that they can able to call me.

I will buy additional cages for my dogs, aside from buying leashes for them. This is for immediate rescue.

We are also cleaning the house, separating the unused clothes and things. We are now organising our documents in a storage box that will ready to carry. We also organising some of our things from the most important to the least one, so that we will just carry those are important.

When it comes to my family, I make sure that I already evacuate my mother, nephew and my pets. Me and my sister are at home to prepare things to evacuate and me and my brother are the runners. We've done these, 3 times already, we know what to do.

What I need to do is to have money, that will last up to 6 months, equivalent to my salary multiply by six. That is my emergency money. Actually I don't want to call it Emergency money because it attracts emergency events, so I called it Contingency budget. That is what o need to prepare every month.

But wait there's more. Another fire Incident happened last July 22 or 23, forget already,lol.

This Is a Facebook post of my neighbor. It was far from us, but to think that we had fire last July 2 and 4, made me think, what does it happens always??? Oh my!!!

I was not at home!!!

I was in the office. They didn't call me because it was far from us, but then another fire I incident, I want to pass out. This is really traumatic, like, seriously? I don't want to anticipate incident like this but... Urghh, no. Stop. Nooooo!!!

I am now Praying for Fire Protection.

This is my prayer every night. I don't want this to happen anymore. I ask God to protect my family. I wish this to stop. I don't want to absorb the fear but it is making me weak. What is wrong in my area? What is wrong with these people , are they not afraid of fire? Anxiety to the highest level.

Because of this, I am willing to work triple time just to be prepared. May this story leaves you a lesson that anytime, fire or calamities are there. We cannot control it, but we can be prepared. We must be prepared!