Fire

[shikarnov 7]

This post has no particular point, except as an outlet to vent a bit...

My wife has been visiting family in Russia for the past two months. She's due to come back on Monday. Usually we talk on Skype, but today she wasn't online. About two hours ago, she sent an SMS saying that the electricity is out, and that I should call her cell. Since I didn't have my cell with me, I didn't get the message until a short while ago.

I called. We chatted for a few minutes. I made some joke about the electricity being off "as usual" (there are a lot of power problems in her city). Then she says, with complete nonchalance, "Oh, I wanted to tell you..."

So I was playing Warcraft one minute and then the lights went out. Mom was with me, and she's too curious sometimes, and wanted to go see if anybody else was without power. When she got outside, there were fire trucks, and an ambulance. Turns out there was a fire in the next stairwell (padiest). Two apartments burned, and three people died.

That's why there's no electricity. And since today's a holiday, there are no sober electricians to come fix it.

She rattles off this bit of news like it's just another day at the office. No big deal. There was a FIRE in the same building as my wife -- two apartments across, and one floor down -- and there were no alarms, no evacuations, no indication of any kind that something was amiss until my overly curious mother-in-law decided to step outside to see what's what.

Okay - I can sort of understand an impoverished building of people not forking over the cash to buy a building-wide alert system, and even why some people choose not to spend $30 on smoke alarms when they struggle to buy potatoes, but why on Earth wouldn't somebody go knocking on doors to say "Hey, there's a fire in the building. It's already consumed two apartments. Just thought you'd like to know."

I'm so glad my wife is coming home on Monday.

Edited June 12, 2010 by shikarnov

[Casper&Diana 0]

Whoa, that's scary! Thank God those Soviet buildings are all non-combustible concrete. But still... Hm, should I take some battery powered smoke detectors with me next week for her family's apartment and houses? Never thought about that. Anybody done that?

[shikarnov 7]

Might be worth bringing for your own safety, but if my wife's nonchalance about two apartments burning (non-combustible concrete didn't seem to be too helpful in this case) is any indication of typical Russian behavior, then your family is unlikely to care enough to replace the batteries when they die in 6 months.

[slim 1,514]

"Oh, I wanted to tell you..."

Why does she need to go to Russia to play Warcraft? Couldn't she just do that here?

typical Russian behavior, then your family is unlikely to care enough to replace the batteries when they die in 6 months.

Which is also why she's really keen on working full-time to pay bills.

Man, I feel for you. And in all your venting and frustration I'm sure you got hit with the "what's problem? We fine, nosing happened in our apart. It's two apartments over, we event not have problems. Why you worry about zis? So stupid. Why people must come warn us? If we have fire of course we gonna leave. Why people must tell us to leave? It's not they bizness tell us about they fire. Americans so stupid. What's problem I not understand?"

Good luck with all that. However, you might want to add "smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, rope ladder" to your list of supplies next time you visit the in-laws.

[shikarnov 7]

Why does she need to go to Russia to play Warcraft? Couldn't she just do that here?

Which is also why she's really keen on working full-time to pay bills.

After two months there, the novelty appears to have worn off. As I mentioned in another thread, she's quite ready to come home, and was playing playing Warcraft to kill some time.

Man, I feel for you. And in all your venting and frustration I'm sure you got hit with the "what's problem? We fine, nosing happened in our apart. It's two apartments over, we event not have problems. Why you worry about zis? So stupid. Why people must come warn us? If we have fire of course we gonna leave. Why people must tell us to leave? It's not they bizness tell us about they fire. Americans so stupid. What's problem I not understand?"

Something like that, but minus the "What's the problem?" angle and substitute in some reactionary diatribe about how things aren't perfect in the US and that I shouldn't criticize quite so fiercely.

Good luck with all that. However, you might want to add "smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, rope ladder" to your list of supplies next time you visit the in-laws.

I wonder if an extinguisher will make it past customs.

[slim 1,514]

After two months there, the novelty appears to have worn off. As I mentioned in another thread, she's quite ready to come home, and was playing playing Warcraft to kill some time.

I missed the other thread. However, I think the "novelty" is exactly what my wife is holding onto. She hasn't been back to Russia since her arrival and I'm thinking sending her back for a few weeks to visit everyone could be just what she needs to put her over the top.

As every month and year go by she's getting closer to what we could consider "acceptable" behavior here in America and I'm thinking a trip back home would help her see just how green the grass is here. Man, I can only imagine that phone call where she's telling her friend when she gets back, "I see now I have such a nice life in America and it's not so bad as I think."

That would rank right up there with "Sometimes I must listen to my husband."

Something like that, but minus the "What's the problem?" angle and substitute in some reactionary diatribe about how things aren't perfect in the US and that I shouldn't criticize quite so fiercely.

Regional dialect difference, that's all.

I wonder if an extinguisher will make it past customs.

I'm guessing you could get it into Russia. Getting it out of the U.S. would be the problem.

I met a fireman in Moscow and he showed us some of his "training" on the subway one morning. He took the extinguisher off the wall and started spraying it all over the car. "I'm a fireman!" Good times. Good times.

(Boy I can't wait for the drive-by posters!)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

This post has no particular point, except as an outlet to vent a bit...

My wife has been visiting family in Russia for the past two months. She's due to come back on Monday. Usually we talk on Skype, but today she wasn't online. About two hours ago, she sent an SMS saying that the electricity is out, and that I should call her cell. Since I didn't have my cell with me, I didn't get the message until a short while ago.

I called. We chatted for a few minutes. I made some joke about the electricity being off "as usual" (there are a lot of power problems in her city). Then she says, with complete nonchalance, "Oh, I wanted to tell you..."

She rattles off this bit of news like it's just another day at the office. No big deal. There was a FIRE in the same building as my wife -- two apartments across, and one floor down -- and there were no alarms, no evacuations, no indication of any kind that something was amiss until my overly curious mother-in-law decided to step outside to see what's what.

Okay - I can sort of understand an impoverished building of people not forking over the cash to buy a building-wide alert system, and even why some people choose not to spend $30 on smoke alarms when they struggle to buy potatoes, but why on Earth wouldn't somebody go knocking on doors to say "Hey, there's a fire in the building. It's already consumed two apartments. Just thought you'd like to know."

I'm so glad my wife is coming home on Monday.

So in Russia, they have SOBER electricians when it isn't a holiday? Wow. Maybe we shouldn't combine forums with Ukraine after all.

Um, I came to regard such things as "Well, it IS Ukraine". The elevator in our building has not worked since probably 1956, evacuation in a fire would be nearly impossible, too many apartments in each padiest. Half the time the doors are locked at the bottom and you need the huge skeleton key to open the vault-like door. The building is mostly made of concrete but so was the McCormick Place in Chicago.

Glad your wife is OK.

I missed the other thread. However, I think the "novelty" is exactly what my wife is holding onto. She hasn't been back to Russia since her arrival and I'm thinking sending her back for a few weeks to visit everyone could be just what she needs to put her over the top.

As every month and year go by she's getting closer to what we could consider "acceptable" behavior here in America and I'm thinking a trip back home would help her see just how green the grass is here. Man, I can only imagine that phone call where she's telling her friend when she gets back, "I see now I have such a nice life in America and it's not so bad as I think."

That would rank right up there with "Sometimes I must listen to my husband."

Regional dialect difference, that's all.

I'm guessing you could get it into Russia. Getting it out of the U.S. would be the problem.

I met a fireman in Moscow and he showed us some of his "training" on the subway one morning. He took the extinguisher off the wall and started spraying it all over the car. "I'm a fireman!" Good times. Good times.

(Boy I can't wait for the drive-by posters!)

You see why I liked living there? Texture. Where else has texture like the FSU?

[shikarnov 7]

So in Russia, they have SOBER electricians when it isn't a holiday? Wow. Maybe we shouldn't combine forums with Ukraine after all.

Um, I came to regard such things as "Well, it IS Ukraine". The elevator in our building has not worked since probably 1956, evacuation in a fire would be nearly impossible, too many apartments in each padiest. Half the time the doors are locked at the bottom and you need the huge skeleton key to open the vault-like door. The building is mostly made of concrete but so was the McCormick Place in Chicago.

Interesting. In my wife's town, the doors at the bottom of each padiest are as you describe, with one apparent difference: no key is needed to exit. So, theoretically, an evacuation (assuming anybody considers it necessary) shouldn't be handicapped by an inability to exit.

Glad your wife is OK.

Thank you. I am too.

Edited June 13, 2010 by shikarnov

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Interesting. In my wife's town, the doors at the bottom of each padiest are as you describe, with one apparent difference: no key is needed to exit. So, theoretically, an evacuation (assuming anybody considers it necessary) shouldn't be handicapped by an inability to exit.

Thank you. I am too.

It depends how the latch is set. Usually during the day the door is not locked and stands open. At night it is closed and is supposed to be able to opened from inside without a key, but if the latch is pulled in and turned, then you need the key to unlock it. If you set the latch properly, you can just lift it with your fingers.

[Casper&Diana 0]

It depends how the latch is set. Usually during the day the door is not locked and stands open. At night it is closed and is supposed to be able to opened from inside without a key, but if the latch is pulled in and turned, then you need the key to unlock it. If you set the latch properly, you can just lift it with your fingers.

The "non-key" lock for the main level entry door in Diana's apartment building is electronic. So, in the case of an emergency like shikarnov described where the power goes out, does the electronic "unlock" not work anymore or is there a failsafe in that with a power outage the lock unlocks?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The "non-key" lock for the main level entry door in Diana's apartment building is electronic. So, in the case of an emergency like shikarnov described where the power goes out, does the electronic "unlock" not work anymore or is there a failsafe in that with a power outage the lock unlocks?

Holy Smokes! An electronic lock in Donetsk!!!!!!!! And I thought we lived in the good neighborhood. If it were here, the fail safe would be a "normally open" lock that opens without the presence of current. It requires electricity to LOCK the door. Not sure in Ukraine, depends how sober the electrician was that connected it. One thing is for sure...it is 220V! Even the damn doorbells are 220V, I found that out the hard way!