Beth's house, July 27 2006

When you have kids, the world becomes a Disneyland of peril.

This is hardly an original observation - I challenge anyone to come up with an original observation that is prefaced, "When you have kids..."

Improperly installed carseats, West Nile mosquitos, loose boards on the porch steps, poisonous plants, dogs - all these things can spin visions of woe and hospital visits.

But this:


Beth's house, July 27 2006
Originally uploaded by pwilnyc.

... this is what my cousin Beth, her husband, and their two-month-old baby boy narrowly missed the other night. They were on vacation at the beach, asleep, hours away from their home, when, at 3am this Wednesday, a fire broke out in their garden, spread to the deck, ignited a propane tank, and engulfed both floors of their house in flame. I'm told it's even worse inside.

When we stopped by to survey the damage this afternoon, I went weak in the knees. I'm shaking now. If I had seen the charred crib, I might have lost it entirely.

Check your smoke detectors and move the grill away from the house.

Cousin Beth and beautiful baby cousin on July 4th. They are safe and well, but tireder now.