Advice on preventing caravan fires
Fire crews have attended at least six serious fires involving caravans or mobile homes since the start of the year, which caused serious damage to the structures involved.
The Service is issuing advice to caravan owners on how to reduce the risks from fire.
Recent fires involving caravans have occurred at the following locations:
- Touring caravan on fire in Dalwood, near Axminster, on 29 January
- Caravan fire involving a woodburner, Throwleigh, Okehampton, 22 January
- Caravan fire involving gas cylinders at Holsworthy on 19 January
- Mobile home fire involving cylinders at Hardington Mandeville on 8 January
- Caravan fire at Kennford, Exeter, on 4 January
- Caravan and workshop fire involving gas cylinders near Ashburton, 3 January
Community Safety Prevention Manager Marc House, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Caravans can be perfectly safe but accidents can happen in any home and there is a need to take precautions to reduce the risk of fire.
“In particular, owners should ensure that bonfires are lit well away from the caravan and that electrical sockets are not overloaded. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors will provide an early warning of danger.”
Vents should be kept clear and a Gas Safe engineer should be used to fix gas heaters. Manufacturers’ instructions should always be adhered to when using solid fuel burners.
The firefighting operation in caravans is often complicated by the presence of gas cylinders, which have the potential to explode if they are exposed to fire and require the Service to set a 200m exclusion zone.
When not in use gas cylinders should be stored six metres away from the home, this applies to empty canisters as they are still dangerous.
When the caravan is in a remote location, the fire may not be seen in the early stages and can develop into a large fire before the arrival of firefighters.
If you have to make an emergency call, a six-figure Ordnance Survey grid reference or full directions are useful.
More advice on fire safety for caravans and mobile homes is available here.
