Journaling: And then there was the year of the great Chanukah fire of 2005 ...
It was the 8th night of Chanukah, and I had set up several of my menorahs with all of the candles and displayed them on the sofa table. We said the blessings, lit the candles, and the boys proceeded to play video games with their father. I went downstairs to make cards with my friend.
All of a sudden, the fire alarm goes off, and we smell the distinct scent of burning wood. I run upsgtairs to find my sofa table on fire from a couple of the candles that had fallen over from the Menorah!! A little voice went off in my head, Smother the fire! So I grabbed the first thing I could find ... a stack of paper napkins.
Thank God my husband was thinking a little clearer. He ran for the fire extingusher and put out the fire.
I was so shaken ... thank God all of us were nearby and able to put out the fire quickly!
The next day, I went over to the Temple gift shop and purchased an electric Menorah (pictured). It was at least three years before I could bring myself to use a candle-lit Menorah again. It was a most unlikely Chanukah experience!

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