When my sister and I were young, we were woken up in the middle of the night by both of our parents screaming! A furnace had fallen over in the living room and the whole downstairs area was on fire, but we had to evacuate the house using the upstairs window, however I twisted my ankle when we jumped.
I will never forget that fire as long as I live, however even though it did not cause significant damage to the house, I still have PTSD from the fire.
During the winter months, I never use a space heater. I don’t have a fireplace in my house either, for the same exact reason. I have a gas furnace in my house and I have a routine repair checkup performed on the gas furnace each and every year. I trust the professionals at the furnace service and replacement business. It absolutely gives me great peace of mind to know that the plan is in tip top shape when the winter months are here and I have to run the heat. I barely sleep at all during the winter months! The thought of a fire in the middle of the night is still a fear that keeps me up. I have had many therapists tell me that hypnosis could work, although I don’t believe in that sort of thing. I guess it is healthy to have a fear of something like furnace fires. They could happen and I don’t want to ever be a victim again. It’s not like I am afraid of the boogeyman or something that is not real.