A fire in any leisure vehicle is truly terrifying, but you can take steps to minimise the risk, says Peter Rosenthal
CARAVAN GENIUS
A CARAVAN fire is horrible to contemplate. Not only do you have an enclosed space with limited escape routes, but you’re also surrounded by wiring and gas pipes.
The furnishings are largely made of plywood and soft materials that will burn when subjected to the heat of a fire. Even flame-retardant modern furnishings will only resist for so long – with enough heat and time, everything burns.
Make no mistake, a fire in your caravan is something you really don’t want.
Fire damage
I’ve had first-hand experience of a couple of fires. The first one was in a kit car that I owned, which had some hastily added wiring that set alight and wouldn’t go out until I’d ripped out all the wiring around it. It spread very rapidly and had I not been nearby when it started, the car would have completely burned out.
The second was a fire in my father’s factory, caused by a spark igniting aluminium dust, which burned the entire building to the ground. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the fire consumed everything. It took several days to burn out, with multiple fire crews in attendance, and I had the task of photographing the remains for the insurance company. It was a ghastly mess of twisted metal girders, rubble and charred machinery. Almost nothing was salvageable – the firm’s computers, which at first sight, looked intact and had been well away from the main fire – were ruined by smoke damage. Even the underground drains were destroyed!
Fires in caravans are equally frightening and we’ve seen examples of units parked together where the fire has jumped from one to another, burning several of them to a shell. In that particular case, they had been pitched far too close together and not to the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s recommended 6m distance.
While fires in caravans are mercifully rare, they do happen, and you really need to be aware of the potential sources of ignition, how to prevent them, and what to do in the event of a fire. Remember, this information could save your life…
Smoke alarms and CO detectors
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors have one purpose – to alert the occupants so they can get out of the vehicle. They’re a vital early warning system. So after you’ve
