The CB1100 Community Forum

Glad the CB looks happy and healthy in its new home.
Yea the smokey smell from a house fire takes forever to leave clothing... hope you are able to get rid of it!
Maybe you can speed air it out just by going for a bike ride 

David, I am only just now reading this and, first, I am very glad it wasn't worse. Two years ago, at three in the morning, my daughter and her family and three dogs arrived at my door after their house burned down from a fire-works accident caused by a careless neighbor. This is all too common and dangerous and poorly understood by the general public. The pain endures. My daughter is still not back in her house, which was supposed to be ready last week. You and yours now have additional difficulties to contend with and will for the near future. I appreciate your generosity and talents shared with the Forum and I wish you all the best in getting this mess cleaned up.
On a side note, I started riding when I lived on the west side of San Antonio and enjoyed riding out Bandera Road to Bandera for a cup of coffee. That was long before it was widened and straightened and it was a beautiful ride. I love riding the Hill Country and miss it very much. I also had the pleasure of riding in the California wine country and further south around Solvang. 
Enjoy a ride when you can. 

Good to see the CB1100 safe and sound. Good luck getting everything sorted and keep us posted and lean on us for encouragement.

If the CB smells smokey, give it a while. When our CRV was smoke-infused from the garage fire, even after I got it detailed to the point that there was no more residue, the burnt smoke smell had permeated the external plastics and didn't fully go away for a few weeks.

This story isn't necessarily in the category of "Happy Thoughts," but it may help and it is about bicycles. A friend some time ago told about being in Italy courtesy of the US Air Force and going to the place that made the bike of his dreams. They took careful measurements and built his bike, crated it and sent it to Ohio where he had it delivered to a bike shop where it was assembled. 
He was so excited to finally have the bike of his dreams as he carefully strapped it to the roof-top carrier on his car and drove home. Arriving at home, he used the remote garage-door opener as he drove in the drive-way and drove into the garage, destroying the bicycle strapped to the top of the car. The story does have a happy ending. He realized the company still had all the measurements to build his bike, so he ordered another and was more careful getting it home. I am glad to see your Italian bicycles still looking clean and beautiful. 

Thanks to everyone who reached out via text, private message, and the posts on this Thread. It is humbling to be a member of this Crew with so many great people who know how to make a bad day less so.

Among the many charms of this Forum are graciousness, maturity, perspective, and humor. When I was at my worst, I remember the Ferret's gentle coaching on materialism and how easy it is to focus on the negative rather than the important. And when I really started feeling sorry for myself, I remembered the post from Empty Sea, which encouraged me to turn to bourbon and a cigar to get through the moment. I will leave both to him, but I am even more excited to meet him in person in August. I can already tell he is a force of nature. It would not surprise me if they named a hurricane after him this season. But no one summed things up better for me than Cormanus, whose words made me laugh as I masked up while I sorted through what was ultimately declared a hazmat site: "Fire: Bloody hell, David."

It is my hope that none of you will ever experience a house fire. Dreadful stuff. But if you do, hope that a Firefighter like Mangna Rider answers the call. He and others like him use skill, bravery, and determination not only to put out the fire but, more importantly, to give you a fresh start to build upon the next day.

The following addresses the questions that have been sent to me and provides practical advice on how to deal with a fire when a motorcycle and gear are involved. My prayer this morning is that you will never, ever have to refer to this list.

House fires often become chemical, toxic fires because of all the things that burn: insulation, wood, laminates, wires, paint, etc. When I arrived on scene, I was met by a building inspector who made it very clear just how dangerous exposure can be:





Let the Fire Department extinguish everything without any interference or questions. They have a job to do, and Firefighters are well equipped to make sure the fire does not rekindle (fire starts again). Let the Incident Commander focus on the Crew and then your property. He will take good care of both.

After the fire has been declared "out," let the cleanup crew enter the property next and clean up the sludge and debris. They will also make sure that the house's integrity is such that it can be entered safely. It is incredibly tempting to want to rush in and retrieve your valuables. Find a way to resist. For me, the best approach was not to report on scene until I received a call informing me that I could enter the dwelling. If possible, have the building inspector join you for the initial walk-through. He will tell you how to conduct yourself and the appropriate measures to take to protect yourself.

Prepare for the worst. It can be emotionally taxing to see a lifetime of memories and belongings altered. Take pictures of the structure and your damaged possessions. You will need both for the insurance adjusters. In my case, I was told the chemical fire was so severe that anything made of fabric, plastic, or wood was unsalvageable. Those materials are porous, and even if they appear undamaged, their chemical composition is altered with bad nasties that can lead to serious medical conditions. Things made of metal would be fine after a deep cleaning and some airing out. In my case, I was able to salvage my bicycles and motorcycles, but everything else was lost. Silly as it is, I was very emotionally attached to the riding gear because it reminded me of cherished moments. But I did what needed to be done: I documented the scene, photographed the items I had to leave behind, organized them so the salvage crew could easily remove them, and filed an insurance claim this morning. Insurance adjusters also want to help, but they operate under strict guidelines, too. Here are a few of the motorcycle-related pictures. I will spare you the other 50 involving computer stuff, clothing, and personal effects. When you take pictures, try as best you can to show exactly what was lost and make sure you turn on the GPS location setting on your camera to confirm the location where the picture was taken and the day and time:



















When it was all done, I needed something to help me leave the site behind. The neighbor couple whose kids had unintentionally set it approached me during one of my 15-minute breaks. With tears in her eyes, she told me how sorry they were for what happened. They are youth ministers focused on helping disadvantaged kids walk a righteous path. I told her and her husband to unburden themselves and learn from this incident, but not be defined by it. I also reminded her that no one was in the house, that no occupants or firefighters were hurt, and that time and the insurance companies would eventually make things right. I told the young couple I was much more worried about them than the items I was leaving behind, and that I would remember them at Mass on Sunday. She seemed comforted.

My final act was to find a home for four tomato plants and three corn stalks. All were fruiting on the porch when the blaze started. They survived without any damage. My orphans needed a home, and I am pleased to report that the former Deputy Chief of Operations for the local fire department took them in:






Despite the veneer of being an educated man who has traveled the world, deep down, I am just a southern country boy who belongs on a bike or a motorcycle below the Mason-Dixon line. I am thinking it is about time for me to make that my norm and not the exception. But I will set that romantic notion aside when the insurance claim is received so I can go shopping. Thanks for the love. David

Thanks for the update; informative--to say the least--of what's involved with a house fire. Well wishes for a positive outcome with the insurance folk.

Thank you for the update. Your outlook toward the kids who started the fire is very inspiring. It wasn’t intentional and your ability to see beyond the physical damage and the hassles this incident will cause for months to come (per my former/inner claims adjuster brain) is truly incredible.

I’ll let Mrs. G know your plants are safe. Plants and vegetables are to her what motorcycles are to me.

We’re all here for you, thank you for sharing the journey with us, and if it gives a happy thought, your boot recommendation just led me to a very happy pair of feet.

Thanks for the update, rdprdp01 and the insight into dealing with a house fire and its aftermath. As Gone says, your response to your neighbours is wise and generous.

It's interesting that the riding gear needs to be replaced. It looks undamaged in the photos.

It must also be a great relief to those in the adjacent houses — which look close — that the fire brigade responded so quickly and effectively.

What about the other residents of your house? How badly have they been affected?

Always nice to hear from you, Cormanus. See my reactions:

"It's interesting that the riding gear needs to be replaced. It looks undamaged in the photos." I try as best I can to purchase great protective gear. I define "best" by quality, workmanship, durability, and, to a far lesser extent, ease of maintenance. I also use optimal storage to help preserve things. Everything is cleaned and stowed away following a ride. The picture below is of the bedroom I assigned to myself. Note that I had a cover over the hanging racks to protect the gear from dust, light, and anything else that could come into contact with it. The helmets were enclosed in protective covers. My gloves were stored in a sealed plastic container. My stuff was located as far as it could be from the source of the fire:



Although there was no detectable physical damage to the jackets, pants, boots, or airbag vests, all of them reeked of a toxic chemical odor regardless of how they were stored. The house was not engulfed in flames like a Hollywood movie, but it was filled with thick, chemically laden smoke that clung to everything it touched. That smoke carried fine soot particles loaded with unburned hydrocarbons, plus a truly nasty cocktail of gases: hydrogen chloride from burning PVC-based materials (pipe, vinyl flooring, wire insulation); sulfur dioxide from gypsum wallboard and rubber; and dreadful nitrogen oxides from nitrogen-containing polymers like polyurethane foam and nylon.

When those gases met the natural moisture and humidity in the house, they formed dilute acids: hydrochloric, sulfurous, and nitric. That acidic film settled on everything in the house, including my gear.

All the manufacturers told me the gear was permanently altered, that the smell could be masked but not truly removed, and that wearing it would expose me to toxins over time — a far greater problem than the cost of new gear. The airbag manufacturer, Alpinestars Tech-Air, told me the warranty was voided unless I sent the jackets in for a formal rework and system check. Claude gave me a nice summary of the slow degradation that follows this kind of exposure:

Leather: Acid attack breaks down the tanning agents and collagen fibers over time; neutralizing that process without damaging the material isn't practical. The leather will lose some tensile strength and become brittle.
Synthetics: Acids attack the polymer chains directly, degrading structural integrity from within.
Kevlar: The aromatic rings that make Kevlar so tough hold up well, but the amide bonds linking those rings together are still vulnerable to acid attack, slowly weakening the fiber.
Electronics: Residue left behind corrodes exposed copper traces, connector pins, and solder joints.

Prolonged contact between the contaminated gear and my head, hands, legs, and body could transfer small amounts of these toxins, which accumulate over time. That was the tipping point that led me to write off a sizeable investment and replace everything. I pray no one else has to face this decision, but if you do, my experience is at least one data point worth considering. As I see it, we buy the gear to protect ourselves. We should also replace it to achieve that same goal when there is a compelling reason to do so.

"It must also be a great relief to those in the adjacent houses — which look close — that the fire brigade responded so quickly and effectively." Indeed. In California, they place four dwellings on a lot built for one, adding floors to reach the three-bedroom threshold that the market demands in Northern California. The 911 call was processed through a Dispatch Center and Fire Department we support. The Firefighters were on site and entered the structure within six minutes of the call being received at the Dispatch Center. While I was cleaning up, the neighbors stopped by to offer condolences, fresh water, and offers to help. They also teased me about sampling my own product a little too much.

"What about the other residents of your house? How badly have they been affected?" Our townhome was the only house impacted structurally, thankfully. The house where the kids lived received some blowback of fumes and some gray water runoff. Before the Incident Commander left, it is my understanding that he told them to turn off their HVAC, leave for the night, and have their home inspected before returning. When I arrived on scene, they had returned to their home.

Fascinating information, rdprdp01. Sounds like there are very good reasons indeed to write off the gear and replace it.

I have a painting hanging in my study that still has yellowed masking from being in a fire in the house I grew up in. Ironically, perhaps, the painting is of the part of the house that caught fire.