‘Unplug your toasters’: A local woman reacts after losing belongings in a fire

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - On June 23 a Glyndon mother was playing outside with her 2 young children when she began hearing a faint beeping noise.

“I told the kids to stop playing focused for a second, and then I realized the beeping was coming from inside our house,” said the mother.

When she realized it was the smoke detectors, she ran to the house because she knew her dogs were inside.

“When I came in the door, that’s when I was hit by a cloud of smoke and saw the flames,” said the mother, “sheer panic… I opened up the door and it was one of those things where your adrenaline just takes over.”

Luckily, she was able to safely get her dogs out and call for help.

“I wasn’t even off the phone with the dispatcher before a Glyndon police officer got here and he had a fire extinguisher and was able to get most of the flames out and that’s why it was contained,” said the mom.

The cause is still under investigation, but the mother suspects it was either the toaster or the outlet it was plugged into.

“We had an extension port on there that had six outlets on it and so we had the toaster along with four other things plugged in there,” said the mother, “the fire marshal told us that toasters are known to just go up in flames and short circuit so every time I go to someone’s house now, I’m unplugging their toasters like ‘PSA’.”

Although most of the visible damage is contained to the kitchen, the smoke ruined most of her furniture, food, and belongings.

“Even though the fire wasn’t technically that big, it’s almost like a total loss in our house because of the smoke…. we’re going to need new everything,” said the mother.

The fire not only damaged her home but also cost the mother her job. She ran a daycare out of her home and cared for 9 children, including her own kids.

She says she is grateful for smoke detectors, the police officer who responded so quickly, and that her family is safe.

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