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Firetool
- Thread starter iestyn1
- Start date
Yes! I must admit I've never seen a caravan on fire But I'm just quoting Ian Dunning on the CT forum. Ian (I believe) is a retired Station Commander in the Fire Service. He wrote on CT: " Caravans tend to be engulfed in flame more rapidly than most other dwellings and my advice is to stay away and only contemplate going near if there is a life risk. There are much more constructive actions which can be taken to mitigate damage to vehicles or caravans either side of the fire. The fire development can be very rapid and unpredictable. I'm afraid that is typical of a lot of caravan fires."ProfJohnL said:
I had a very interesting conversation with the chap selling these at the NEC last year. The reason they are so compact is down to the fact that they don't contain any liquid, but a solid that produces an extinguishing media by chemical reaction.
As I'm supposedly an expert in this field (no pun intended 😱hmy: ) by the nature of my job, I for one wouldn't want to attempt to save my caravan if it was involved in fire. As has been pointed out, they tend to become fully involved in a short time.
It goes without saying that any fire will generate an amount of heat. Metals and materials used in caravan construction melt and decompose which produces a number of chemicals whose properties can add to the ferocity of the fire and increase temperatures to the high hundreds.
As for exploding gas cylinders, this is the unknown factor. While they won't explode 'Hollywood style' the moment a caravan catches fire, they do pose a significant risk. Because of the process that goes on when flames impinge on a cylinder, those with less contents are more of a risk. They are fitted with blow out discs, which is the safety device to release pressure, but this does not mean that the cylinder can't fail.
My advice is get out of the van, raise the alarm on site and call 999 for the fire and rescue service and let trained professionals deal with the situation rather than put yourself at risk. :cheer:
As I'm supposedly an expert in this field (no pun intended 😱hmy: ) by the nature of my job, I for one wouldn't want to attempt to save my caravan if it was involved in fire. As has been pointed out, they tend to become fully involved in a short time.
It goes without saying that any fire will generate an amount of heat. Metals and materials used in caravan construction melt and decompose which produces a number of chemicals whose properties can add to the ferocity of the fire and increase temperatures to the high hundreds.
As for exploding gas cylinders, this is the unknown factor. While they won't explode 'Hollywood style' the moment a caravan catches fire, they do pose a significant risk. Because of the process that goes on when flames impinge on a cylinder, those with less contents are more of a risk. They are fitted with blow out discs, which is the safety device to release pressure, but this does not mean that the cylinder can't fail.
My advice is get out of the van, raise the alarm on site and call 999 for the fire and rescue service and let trained professionals deal with the situation rather than put yourself at risk. :cheer:
Dustydog said:
Apparently it's an urban myth. Gas cylinders don't explode. They have a secondary valve within the gas valve which when the cylinder gets hot, the secondary valve opens allowing the gas to escape. But that adds to the conflagration (surely). A bit like helping a bonfire along with a blowlamp.
Iestnen 1 don't ignore this, I have one , 1 kg dry powder by our bed and another by the caravan door, and a 2 kg dry powder by the Jockey wheel , when on site, hopefully no one will steal it. Its all for your own saftey not for the caravan , that is insured. Get yoursef and everyone else out. .
Parksy
Moderator
I don't know if it's still in the rules but on C&CC rallies there was a requirement for a fire bucket filled with water at the front of every caravan.
I'm guessing that this rule was introduced before caravans were filled with electrical equipment 🙂
Many of the materials used in modern caravan construction become carcinogenic when burning so in the event of a caravan fire after you get out, don't stand downwind, your long term health could be affected
I'm guessing that this rule was introduced before caravans were filled with electrical equipment 🙂
Many of the materials used in modern caravan construction become carcinogenic when burning so in the event of a caravan fire after you get out, don't stand downwind, your long term health could be affected
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