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 figure includes caravans, motorhomes 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 caravan.
Professionally built tourers have to meet numerous safety standards, making fires very rare, but the growing popularity of DIY projects and cheap electrical kit from overseas has increased the risk. So it’s now more important than ever to think about the safety gear you carry when you’re on tour.
Sources of fire
By far the biggest fire hazard comes from cooking in a caravan. 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.
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
