Couple’s house burns down in fire – but one tiny trick leaves bathroom untouched

The homeowners ‘had to re-buy literally every part of their daily life. New clothing, glasses, keys, everything,’ son said

Jacob Noxon’s parents’ home after the fire (Jam Press/@jakenoxon)

A man has shared the moment his family home burned down due to loose wires – but the bathroom was bizarrely left completely intact.

Jacob Noxon’s parents’ house was set alight after two wires caused a spark inside a wall at the back of the property, Jam Press reports.

In an effort to help and warn others about fire safety, the 27-year-old has shared his story on TikTok, where it has 5.9 million views.

And there’s one thing that has left users baffled – the simple trick that saw the bathroom completely untouched by the flames.

In short: close the door.

“I was amazed when I walked into their house and saw the bathroom on the main level,” Jacob Noxon, a computer specialist from Kansas, told Need To Know. “I always heard that a closed door could save a room from fire damage, but I have never gotten to witness it.”

“Aside from some smoke damage, the room looked just like it did when we were over at their house for dinner, not even a week prior to this happening,” Mr Noxon added. “As devastating as a house fire is, it truly is fascinating to see how this works in person.”

The interior of Jacob Noxon’s parents’ home after the fire (Jam Press/@jakenoxon)

“Without that door being shut, that room would have burned just as bad as the rest of the main floor of the house,” he continued. “Back when I was in school, they always used to tell us to close our doors at night just in case there was a fire, and this is excellent proof of that!”

“The door being closed prevented oxygen from fuelling the fire into the bathroom,” Mr Noxon explained.

The incident took place on 22 August this year, with Mr Noxon receiving a phone call from a neighbour to alert him to the fire.

He rushed over and rang his parents, who were both at work at the time. After the fire settled, the family finally got a good look at the damage.

In the weeks following, Mr Noxon’s parents stayed part of the time in a hotel and part of the time with their son in the house he shares with his wife, Maclaine Noxon, and one-year-old daughter Winslow.

He said: “They had to re-buy literally every part of their daily life. New clothing, glasses, keys, everything.”

“They will be renting a house close to my wife and I for the next year, while they process of dealing with insurance comes around,” he added. “The house was deemed a total loss, losing many keepsakes, family heirlooms and some collectibles.”

“We are very thankful for the first responders who helped us, and that everyone, is alive and well, and that is all that really matters,” Mr Noxon said.

In the video posted to social media, Mr Noxon can be seen in the bathroom of the home, with perfect features and clean walls. He then opens the bathroom door and reveals the rest of the hallway, with blackened floors and burned walls. The post was captioned: “Parents house caught on fire today,” and has over 573,000 likes, as well as thousands of comments.

Someone said: “I’ve been a volunteer firefighter for almost 30 yrs. I stress this so much in my fire safety presentations.”

One person commented: “OMG that was shocking! I hope they are ok.”

Someone else added: “I always close every door when I leave the house, husband hates it!”

Jess wrote: “Yep happened with my house, the guest room was the only room that didn’t burn.”

“Thank you for letting me know this, cause I never knew,” commented one follower. “Thats honestly terrifying,” said another.