Fire and missing in action

So at 1:30ish Sunday morning I found the building we live and work in on fire. Luckily I found it in its early stages, it could have been much worse and I thank my lucky stars that we are all still alive. The only injury was Stumpy cat who I couldn't find to get out before the smoke was too much. She hid and suffered smoke damage to her airways. She was rushed to the vet at 5 in the morning and stayed in a couple of days. It was very touch and go at first as her blood oxygen levels dropped to a scary level but she is recovering just fine now and eating well too.

The firemen were amazing, arrived really fast and very professional. We had 5 units turn up and a tea van! I could not give them more praise than I already am, it is shocking that they are having their budgets cut so severely.

We are now all in clean up mode. Down stairs in the workshops everything is black. Everything else is covered in a fine layer of soot, from a distance it looks fine, then you touch something and get black hands. Everything is having to be cleaned with a damp soapy cloth otherwise you just smush the soot around. Everything fabric even in drawers/wardrobes is having to be washed. Luckily we have a fabulous laundrette down the road and the lady has been so helpful and understanding, cant praise her enough either! So far she has done 4 big black bin liners full of clothes and has several more to do too.

Here's a look at where the fire was and the damage done.