Madonna Badger's Tragedy — A Somber Reminder on Fireplace Safety
Remember Fireplace Safety
It’s cold outside and it’s the holiday season, so many of us decide to celebrate and keep warm with a nice cozy fire. But although a fire can be beautiful, soothing, and a great place for the family to bond together, it can also be dangerous. And nothing reminds you of the dangers of things like this then when tragedy strikes. There aren’t many good things that come from tragedy, but the one redeemable aspect is that others may learn from them and won’t fall prey to the same risks.
A somber reminder occurred over Christmas. Ad executive Madonna Badger (who was responsible for such iconic ads as the Marky-Mark and Kate Moss Calvin Klein ads) lost not just her parents but her three children when her Victorian home in Connecticut was engulfed in flames. What happened?
Apparently the family had a yule log burning in the fireplace on Christmas Eve. Ms. Badger and a contractor (who was reportedly staying there while the house was being worked on) were wrapping presents. At about 3 a.m. the embers from the fireplace were stored in a metal basket and put in the foyer. That is reportedly where — and how —the fire started. Home fires started in this way are more common than you’d think. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, 9870 house fires were caused yearly (1994-1998 statistics) due to improperly discarded ashes. And if you think the ashes are out, they may not be. Hot coals, which can be hidden among ash, can stay hot for four days. The ashes should actually be placed into a metal lid and put somewhere that is nowhere near anything flammable. And to make it even safer it’s a good idea to wet the ashes first before disposing of them.
Do you use a fireplace? Are you extra cautious about fireplace safety?
Image: Morgue File
We use a wood burning stove with a built in pail on the bottom. There is a trap door between the ashes and the fire. When it is emptied, my husband dumps them outside somewhere. We actually usually don’t dump them everyday and use the hot ambers in the morning to light a new fire. This tragedy is food for thought on how we handle the ambers.
While I really appreciate a good fire safety lesson, and it’s a great thing to review periodically… perhaps it’s a little soon to use someone’s very real, and very, very recent tragedy as a teaching tool to illustrate a point. Perhaps just an article on fireplace safety would have been a more tasteful approach, and still just as timely seeing as it’s winter. Yes, she was somewhat famous, but that doesn’t mean she needs to be made into a “what you should not have done” example over something like this… Let’s let the woman grieve in peace. She’s just lost everything.
This is such a tragedy and my heart breaks for this woman. To lose all of your children plus both of your parents is awful, no matter how rich or famous you are. Fire safety is really important, especially when dealing with fireplaces. Hopefully, others will remember this horrible tragedy and it will save lives b/c they will be more careful with thier own fireplaces. May those children and thier grandparents RIP….
They also didn’t have a single working fire alarm in the house. Let’s have a lesson on that.
I agree SarahH, it’s too soon to point to this tragedy as a life lesson. I cannot imagine the suffering and pain of Madonna Badger. My heartfelt condolences to her and the girls’ father.
My heart aches for this woman. It does not matter how much money or fame you have. You could be flat broke and unknown. The last thing you want is to become known because such a tragedy and you definitely don’t need the “you should have” “why didn’t you” “where were you” “who is the guy”. If you can’t be sympathetic and supportive please don’t comment. May god bless her children and parents. May god help her through these hard times. I wish I could hug her and tell her that I care. With Love Marisol
I too wish I could do something to help, so I am praying for God to comfort her and give her peace and strength until she meets her sweet babies and beloved parents in heaven one day. This is one of the worst tragedies I have witnessed, and honestly my heart has ached for her this Christmas. We are all vulnerable to these kinds of accidents, and honestly, since the day my two children were born (now 7 and 4) I continue to feel vulnerable every day to accidents – weather it be car, peanut or tree nut allergies (my son allergic), weather, etc. We are all here for a short time, and I feel it more important to live the best you can down here so we can make it to heaven to live with our loved ones forever. I pray that Madonna cherishes those sweet loving moments with her children and parents and carries them with her always. Their dear spirits will always be with her. Nothing can take that away from her. God must have a plan for Madonna, as odd as that seems to keep her here, he wants here here to fulfill a purpose. I pray she meets that purpose. I have a lot of respect for this strong professional woman who will now have to become even stronger.
One more thing. I really believe that there are quite a few travel insurance websites of reliable companies than enable you to enter your trip details and get you the rates. You can also purchase your international holiday insurance policy on the internet by using your credit card. Everything you need to do should be to enter all travel information and you can view the plans side-by-side. Only find the system that suits your financial budget and needs then use your credit card to buy that. Travel insurance on the web is a good way to search for a reliable company for international travel cover. Thanks for sharing your ideas.