A motorhome fire is a terrifying prospect. Not only do you have an enclosed space with limited escape routes, but you’re surrounded by wiring and gas pipes. In addition, the furnishings are largely made of plywood and soft materials that will all burn when subjected to the heat of a fire. Even flame-retardant modern furnishings will only resist for so long; with enough heat and time, everything burns. Make no mistake, a fire in your ’van is something you don’t want.
FIRE DAMAGE
I have had first-hand experience of a couple of fires. The first one was in a kit car I owned, with some hastily added wiring that set alight and would not go out until I had ripped out all of the wiring surrounding it.
It spread rapidly and had I not been nearby when it started, the car would have been completely burned out.
The second was a fire in my father’s factory, which was caused by a spark igniting aluminium dust and burned the entire building to the ground.
Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the fire consumed everything. It took several days to burn out, with multiple fire crews in attendance, and I had the task of photographing the remains for the insurance company.
It was a real mess of twisted metal girders, rubble and charred machinery. Almost nothing was salvageable and even the computers – which looked intact and had been well away from the main fire – were ruined by smoke damage. The underground drains were destroyed in the intense fire,
