STAY FIRE SAFE ON TOUR
According to the Home Office, between 2020 and 2021, more than 1200 vans accidentally caught fire in England, as well as 850 other vehicles. The latter includes motorhomes, caravans and minibuses. While there were no deaths related to vans, there were three deaths in those ‘others’, and 116 casualties. With their additional batteries, wiring and gas systems, many extra hazards can be found in a motorhome. Professionally built motorhomes have to meet numerous safety standards, making fires very rare, but the rise of the DIY ’van and cheap electrical kit from overseas has increased the risks. So it’s more important than ever to think about the safety gear that you carry onboard.
Sources of fire
By far the biggest fire hazard comes from cooking in a motorhome. The vast majority of incidents start with a hob fire, usually involving a frying pan and hot oil. Few campers deep-fry, but many people relish a cooked breakfast when they’re on holiday. It’s all too easy to start cooking something and then get side-tracked. We’ve all done it.
Cigarettes used to be another major source of fire, but in the past few decades, they’ve been overtaken by faulty appliances in domestic fires (according to the Home Office) and, given the vast rise in cheap imported electrical equipment, it’s not hard to see that this could be mirrored in motorhomes. If you
