Happened to friends of ours who went out for a family meal and arrived back at top of road to find fire engines and police cars and NO HOUSE. Completely gone- they only had what they stood up in.For years after she said she would say " I will just go and get....." and then realise she couldn't. We had a fairly small house fire some years ago and it's amazing what you lose in just two rooms. We were home at time asleep . Thank goodness for smoke detectors.