Motorhome fire

[TheTwoOfUs]

Regarding the radiated heat from this MH causing damage to another one parked 6m away, well it wouldn't have been ours...because human nature tells me I should moved it...

That's all very well Martin but what if it was on an aire next to your van and you had gone out for the day on one of your great rides or hikes and you were nowhere near to know about it let alone move it. That's what worries me when I see m/hs packed in like sardines on aires.

 

[jumar]

That's all very well Martin but what if it was on an aire next to your van and you had gone out for the day on one of your great rides or hikes and you were nowhere near to know about it let alone move it. That's what worries me when I see m/hs packed in like sardines on aires.

What in the situation we are right now...got 2 metres each side of us...
The most important factor about experiencing a fire in yours or our van is, being aware that it's happening, smoke alarms and being able to escape to an area of relative safety...saving human life the most important issue...
The 6 metre rule was introduced a long time before smoke alarms we commonplace...the main aim was to give separation and reduce firespread..
Terraced houses are common throughout the UK some still have common roof voids.
High rise buildings are a greater risk than motorhomes...they are packed together like sardines...one on top of the next..look at recent fires there...fire travels upwards more than sidewards..
Of course this post is important to all of us because we are motorhomers and it was a motorhome incident...

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

The point I was making was that if your van is 2 or 6 metres apart if you aren’t there to move it, it will be affected by a nearby fire.

 

[mikebeaches]

Oh dear, that's awful. Glad nobody was hurt, but sad for the owners.

I know the area well, having stayed in the Bena Vista apartments that surround the Mc Donald's.

 

[jumar]

The point I was making was that if your van is 2 or 6 metres apart if you aren’t there to move it, it will be affected by a nearby fire.

Yes.I agree...

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[kimndon]

So 6 metres apart? No, to be sure & safe, make it 10 metres apart!! Approx 100,000+ motorhomes in Europe and one catches fire. To be sure we are safe - perhaps our partner should walk Infront of the motorhome with a big red flag?? Cos it's a dangerous world out there lol.

 

[pelican]

That's all very well Martin but what if it was on an aire next to your van and you had gone out for the day on one of your great rides or hikes and you were nowhere near to know about it let alone move it. That's what worries me when I see m/hs packed in like sardines on aires.

Quite agree with you. Can only be for the sake of saving money.

 

[TDub49]

It's in a fuel station not camping. Be careful what you wish for it could be seen as quite sensible to only allow motorhome parking for the day with a 6m gap so no parking allowed on any streets

Thank you. I am well aware that it is not a campsite but the sheer intensity of the blaze is what I was commenting on - would you want to be parked any closer than 6m to that? And you're right - it is food for thought in any situation where more than one moho is parked up but these are pretty rare events.

 

[The Wino]

Thank you. I am well aware that it is not a campsite but the sheer intensity of the blaze is what I was commenting on - would you want to be parked any closer than 6m to that? And you're right - it is food for thought in any situation where more than one moho is parked up but these are pretty rare events.

I was thinking about any vehicles not just motorhomes. Imagine being limited to only parking in the daytime where there's a 6m gap

 

[cyberyacht]

There are a lot of campsites with less than 6M between units. Mostly abroad, I'll admit.

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[nicholsong]

I was thinking about any vehicles not just motorhomes. Imagine being limited to only parking in the daytime where there's a 6m gap

That would have to also apply to LPG-powered, and dual-fuel petrol/LPG vehicles because, although in their case the LPG is in liquid form until it reaches the engine, any leak in the supply pipe would instantly become gaseous.

Imagine trying to draft regulations for parking to encompass that rule in the all country.

 

[Lenny HB]

Two or three years ago at the Boom Town festival parking, a car caught fire (not an EV) about a 100 cars written off.

Just make sure you park your car or van at least 100m from any other vehicle.

 

[KASPAR]

Based on comments thus far:

Wasn't there a car fire at an airport, where loads of cars got burned. Luckily most owners were hundreds if not thousands of miles away.

Therefore none of this 6m rules, it should be 600miles apart.

I fell off me bike when I was a child, still ride a bike.

I have never been wrapped in bubble wrap, run over by a bus, struck by lightning; must be incredibly lucky.

As recorded elsewhere a long time ago a mates tent burned down cos he left the gas burner on, no death, injury; but a free pint to the person who came into the pub panicking and screaming and shouting a tent was on fire. It has burned down, nothing to see, move along.

I enquired of my BiL, a fireman, of motorhomes catching alight in the Avon & Somerset region, no record in 26 years. All those van lifers at Ikea, the downs, Baltic Wharf; obviously a mahoosive risk

 

[Lenny HB]

I don't mind Aires with only a few feet between vans.

What I don't understand is how festival organisers get away with the camping.
Hundred and hundreds of nylon tents pitched almost touching each other occupied with inebriated youngsters.

 

[GJH]

I don't mind Aires with only a few feet between vans.

What I don't understand is how festival organisers get away with the camping.
Hundred and hundreds of nylon tents pitched almost touching each other occupied with inebriated youngsters.

It's a stupid anomaly caused by a gap in legislation.
The same thing happens at historical re-enactment events. I used to hate it when we went to them and made a point of telling people that we needed space to get in the hab door on one side of the van and the cassette locker on the other side.

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[MichaelT]

I don't mind Aires with only a few feet between vans.

What I don't understand is how festival organisers get away with the camping.
Hundred and hundreds of nylon tents pitched almost touching each other occupied with inebriated youngsters.

When I took son to V there were lots of fire breaks and towers with watchers etc. Doesn't stop it but hopefully limits any damage.

 

[SVMC15]

The 6m rule isn't actually a 6m rule. By the time you put your awning up or park your car you need to leave 3m.

 

[Gellyneck]

The 6m rule isn't actually a 6m rule. By the time you put your awning up or park your car you need to leave 3m.



View attachment 1090044

Believe the 6m rule is the distance between the "camping" unit and does not cover an awning, car, etc parked between.

Think that's resulting from the "camping" unit being viewed as the potential risk due to use of naked flame within them. Maybe GJH could confirm / correct.

How that covers bbq's plugged into the side of the vehicle between units????

 

[Tonks]

When I took son to V there were lots of fire breaks and towers with watchers etc. Doesn't stop it but hopefully limits any damage.

Where I was last week there were instructions to keep areas clear for emergency access, and to keep 6m between vehicles/main tents. There was also a ban on fire pits or anything except gas or charcoal BBQs which had to be at least 30cm above the ground. But of course people still tried to pitch stupidly, and at least one person allegedly had to be told (twice) to put out their fire pit. I rather hope that the second time they were escorted off site by security...

At an event I was working on some weeks ago, when I was doing a late night site check I was shocked at how little fire sense people had. Only two fire pits had any kind of fireproof mat/barrier underneath them. And one very low one had been left with orange embers right by the bumper of a vehicle. Incredibly dangerous. As I came back with a bowl of water to douse it with, the owners arrived back from the pub, and I had polite but forceful words about fire safety.

It's a stupid anomaly caused by a gap in legislation.
The same thing happens at historical re-enactment events. I used to hate it when we went to them and made a point of telling people that we needed space to get in the hab door on one side of the van and the cassette locker on the other side.

This is one of the reasons that I recently had an awning rail put on the off-side of my van, so that I can put up a canopy on both sides of my vehicle if on a 'pitch where you like' area and fend off those who like to pitch their tent or park their van directly on top of you (as happened to me and a friend a few years ago).

Believe the 6m rule is the distance between the "camping" unit and does not cover an awning, car, etc parked between.

Think that's resulting from the "camping" unit being viewed as the potential risk due to use of naked flame within them. Maybe GJH could confirm / correct.

How that covers bbq's plugged into the side of the vehicle between units????

That was the case at the pop up site I was at this past few days. I've learned from bitter experience to make sure people can't pitch stupidly close.

 

[SVMC15]

Believe the 6m rule is the distance between the "camping" unit and does not cover an awning, car, etc parked between.

Think that's resulting from the "camping" unit being viewed as the potential risk due to use of naked flame within them. Maybe GJH could confirm / correct.

How that covers bbq's plugged into the side of the vehicle between units????

That is my point, the rule states 3m for awnings and cars which are just as likely a fire risk.

Presume BBQ would need 3m clear space too!

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[Gellyneck]

That is my point, the rule states 3m for awnings and cars which are just as likely a fire risk.

Given neither of those should have naked flames within they are, almost certainly, a much lower risk. The question still remains on how the "6m rule" covers bbq's, etc.

 

[jumar]

The link is the Camping clubs spin on this... fortunately they do mark out their sites, however smaller sites or farm sites may leave the spacing to the campers discretion...not a very good idea

https://www.shropshireda.co.uk/resources/The-6-Metre-Rule.pdf

 

[Brains]

I don't mind Aires with only a few feet between vans.

What I don't understand is how festival organisers get away with the camping.
Hundred and hundreds of nylon tents pitched almost touching each other occupied with inebriated youngsters.

But very few actually cooking in the tents, as there are hundreds of food outlets on site.
Hence, despite the whole of Europe being full of massive camping festivals from May to September, festival campsite fires remain very rare.

Campsite fires are more likely on established campsites, as people tend to cook more.

 

[SVMC15]

Given neither of those should have naked flames within they are, almost certainly, a much lower risk. The question still remains on how the "6m rule" covers bbq's, etc.

I could think of many items in an awning that can cause a fire. It doesn't necessarily need to be a naked flame. Cars have already been covered I believe.

Will BBQs be covered by the other items at 3m?

 

[jumar]

The whole point of having a 6 metre rule is to establish separation, providing relative safety between 2 units where occupants are sleeping...
The idea of having a fire escape in a building is to allow occupants to escape to relative safety.
A Fire alarm system is to warn occupants that there is a Fire situation, as is smoke alarms.
The reasons behind various acts of Parliament regarding Fire Safety is to save life and establish a good code of practice.
Building and other materials come second..

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[GJH]

Think that's resulting from the "camping" unit being viewed as the potential risk due to use of naked flame within them. Maybe GJH could confirm / correct.

Government model standards contain details. They are published by many local authorities which are licensing authorities - for example Here.
The Shropshire DA paper linked above by jumar is a very good visual guide.

 

[ChrisL]

This happened last year at Littlehampton CAMC, as you can see the fire started towards the rear, I believe it was something to do with the heater but not 100% sure on that.

 

[Beemobile]

Maybe if we all worried in life about the what ifs, or the should I shouldn't I, we wouldn't have a life at all. S--- happens sadly.

 

[Gellyneck]

Maybe if we all worried in life about the what ifs, or the should I shouldn't I, we wouldn't have a life at all. S--- happens sadly.

Or if we all took appropriate precautions rather than worrying ................?

 

[jumar]

This happened last year at Littlehampton CAMC, as you can see the fire started towards the rear, I believe it was something to do with the heater but not 100% sure on that.

View attachment 1090464

Think you are spot on with the heater...easy to deal with by the Fire Service or could be contained by using portable extinguishers or copious water..until their arrival..
Although I am no longer a serving Fire Officer, I maintain an interest in new developments we all have in our homes and motorhomes..
A special interest I have is Lithium and the means to control fires originating from these..
The bottom line is, there is no suitable means of extinguishing these type of fires, and containment and allowing them burn out is common practice..
Other methods of extinguishing have been tried including submerging the burning item...but this just contains.
I will finish by saying, our MH Batteries (LiFePO4) batteries that are very popular are incredibly safe, however our bikes, scooters, and other larger capacity batteries, need more care and attention..

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