If your house was burning down. And you had enough time to go back in and save a few items what would they be?

My animals!
and then probably the family diaries from the 1800s.

My external hard drives and my cat.

The obvious answer is kids, grandmas, pets etc… but if you mean “things”. I would have to say family photos. (my house burned down when I was a child. I always remember my parents wishing they were able to save the family photo albums.) ...on a funny note, my dad did go back in the house to save my grandmother’s dentures.

If my family was already out I would grab, my iMac, purse, photo albums, and my box of memories.

iPhone, wallet, passport, insurance policy, shoes and a coat.

OOh, external harddrive. Good one.
**goes and guiltily plugs hers in to her computer**

My external hard drive, camera bag (incl. SLR, wallet, iPod, cell phone), and folder with passports, birth certificates, daughter’s adoption certificate.

Pictures of my kids and some of their artwork and school work, my laptop, my itouch, and my tivo box.

my macbook…i dont care about the clothes, i dont keep pictures, and i have too many books to get them all out in time.

I’d simply collect all the incriminating evidence that would prove that I was burning the house down for insurance money. Oh and my iphone, gotta have that, and my computers if I’m feeling energetic and suddenly happened to developed another arm or two on the way in.

I’ve had a hard day at work today, don’t mind me.

Sadly, this is a question that I think about way too much. I have nightmares about it constantly. I even have a special case prepared for my reptiles if I have to get them out of the house quickly. (I dream that I am unable to save them, and have to suffer with the knowledge that they’re hurting and alone and my responsibility). I, however, have all of my art and paintings and sculptures and puppets to worry about as well. All of the family heirlooms to worry about. All of the expensive things in the house to worry about. Cameras, microscopes, telescopes, computers, grandfather clocks would all be ruined. I know where everything is… but how could I ever make a definitive decision in a crisis.

There’s no way that I would be able to get it all out. Many of my canvases are absolutely huge. Getting my pets, alone, would take a long time. They’re very difficult to get out.
I was sick for a very long time and don’t remember a lot from about three years. My memories are all in this house. Losing them would be the loss of an entire world.

It is an unimaginable horror.

my first answer (of my animals) is what I would save first… but then I have to think about who I would rescue first, and what I would do next… the heirlooms are an option, but there are a lot more that I can think of when I put my mind to it.

@delirium
I had a nightmare about the same thing recently. I went around the RV looking for fire hazards when I woke up. It is amazing this damn thing hasn’t burned to the ground yet. I had power strips plugged into power strips covered in laundry.

Taking a very serious look at things and fixing what was wrong helped me sleep a bit better at night. Having an electrician come out and test everything might help too.

My macbook…my iphone….some personal things I couldn’t live without like my massive blank poster which has doodles from all my friends/family/boyfriends on it from the past year. I’d probably grab my favourite clothes. too.

The rule is every living thing out of the house first. After that I’d take my file box of important info and documents, my purse (which has lots of stuff in it, including my iphone), and if it were a natural disaster or something I’d take my emergency kit yes, I have an emergency kit, and you should too. If it wasn’t a natural disaster I’d grab my box of mementos. I have stuff in there from when I was a teenager; I wouldn’t want to lose that.

Let’s bring things back down to earth. You are never supposed to go into a burning house, no matter how much time you think you have. Your biggest job is getting yourself out, and the firefighters will get your pets. After all, which is more valuable? Your personal items…or your life?

The keys to my Tardis.

my iphone,my Tintin books,my hat,and some LEGOs

Am I too late? How much time do you have before your house burns down? I’m not sure if this is the fastest way for you to make this decision.

Computer if not backed up. Photos, memorabilia.

Photos, laptop, journals, and my bear. :)

laptop, purse (with passport + ID cards etc), keys to car, handy cam (not so much for ooh i need something to take pictures with, it just holds a strong emotional attachment).

this is why they make fireproof boxes. For all your valueble paperwork and items. They are relatively inexpensive and worth thier weight in gold.

Assuming wife, kids & dog got out OK, I’d have to save my external backup drives at least. My livelihood, family photos & video, and all my irreplaceable art is on those.

Assuming my loved ones and animals were out of the house, I honestly can’t think of anything. I have even came back to this question a few times, went and looked at my belongings and dont know what i’d grab! Maybe my jewlery? I dont know…

Animals and external hard drive(s). Every thing is on them or copied to them.

My pets, Saxophone, laptop, lyric book, and some other personal a like photos of my family.

My laptop, purse, keys and pIcs not on my computer (the only memories I have of my sister).

Yes, wife and kids first of course.

Well I probably wouldn’t have thought of the external harddrive until all you guys said it, but it does has plenty of photos on there, from Dad’s time in Iraq and all sorts of things, so I guess I would grab that. To be honest, I would probably grab as many of my stuffed toys as I could, and probably my school uniform + folders/books/bag/laptop if they were easy to access, and some of my more valuable novels. OH! and of course my giant framed Star Wars poster. Oops, and I shouldn’t forget my ps3. Uh oh, looks like I’ll be burnt to a crisp trying to get all that out… :P

(my cats and parents would already be outside)