At 3:30 am, I woke up to the smell of acrid smoke filling my nostrils. Startled, my first thoughts were of my wife, our two children, and our dog Charlie. Then I realized that they were safe, having left last night to visit my wife’s mother.

I immediately switched into survival mode and knew I had to act fast. I could now see a glow in the doorway, knowing that the inside of the house was on fire, and I didn’t have much time.

I couldn’t salvage much, so I prioritized what was accessible. The first thing I saw was my wife’s jewelry box and picked it up. I retrieved my Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum from my night table and grabbed my laptop as I exited the bedroom.

Luckily, the stairs to the first floor were not on fire yet, so I ran down and headed to my office. The kitchen and living room were engulfed in flames and spreading across the ceiling.

I grabbed my car keys off my desk and ran to the garage, thankful my Range Rover was still safe. I jumped in, hit the garage door opener, and drove down the street, waiting for the Fire Department to arrive.