Motorhomer killed in fire!

[TheCaller]

Do all vans go up like this? I thought that they had fire-retardant materials? You would expect a large fire to be started by a small one? Even without a smoke alarm, unless incapacitated by drink or fumes, you would hear it, smell it or feel the heat and bail out of a window?

It probably did start small & that may well have been why she died.

A small fire can produce a lot of toxic smoke & incapacitate a sleeping person very quickly. She probably never woke up. That's why smole alarms are so important.

 

[gozomike]

It looks like an ordinary towed caravan.

Good point also in the write up :-

His son Carl, 32, who runs the site with him, said: “Thankfully there were only two caravans staying here on Thursday because it’s not tourist season.

Also no signs of a cab or engine unless they are behind the car.

Still not good which ever it is.

 

[John & Joan]

The 6 meter rule is important if you put your corner steadies down or fit an awning or any other item that stops you driving away. That is why Aires are for parking only, not camping. You should always be prepared if parking near other to be able to move off swiftly.

Motorhomes are designed to stand on their own, unlike trailer caravans.

 

[scotjimland]

That is why Aires are for parking only, not camping.

I appreciate your point that they are not camping sites John, and in the event of an emergency you should be ready and able to drive off at a moments notice..

However, as you know, many Aires have EHU, people use LPG, sleep and cook in the van, all legally... many use leveling blocks and some use steadies.. and can stay for 48hrs .. some aires have no time limit ... for example, Mimizan plage where they sell weekly tickets .. that by any definition is camping.. unlike overnight stops on UK MSAs which are 'parking' only, and cooking using LPG is prohibited.

but irrespective.. whether we call it camping or parking, even sticking with the aire rules, there is a much higher risk of a fire spreading on an aire than on a site .

 

[magicsurfbus]

Always tragic when such accidents occur, whatever the cause.

One of the first aires we ever used was Ave de Milady in Biarritz, which is like a sardine tin at the best of times. Around midnight, just after we'd turned in, someone started shouting "Coupez votre tete de gas!" (Close your gas tap) as on old VW down the end of one of the rows was well ablaze, and it was backed up to a tall hedge. The owners were safely out and their immediate neighbour MHs were making Scooby Doo exits across the aire to get away. Nobody needed pulling out of the burning vehicle.

So what happens next? A crowd gathers just a few yards from the burning vehicle in the full knowledge there's a gas cylinder still in there. Barking mad. Those things can go a hundred yards or more when they pop. Needless to say we stayed well behind our MH about half way up the opposite row keeping an eye out for any spread along the hedge. Fortunately there was none, and the Pompiers turned up very quickly.

Having seen this early on I always try to back into aire pitches and make sure the chocks aren't blocking a rapid exit. I also make sure bikes are stowed on the rack and not leaning on the vehicle. The extra webbing straps I fit to the hab area doors for security all have quick release clips on them.

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[Gaston aires]

We have a smoke and C02 alarm and a fire extinguisher.

 

[themountaintiger]

sad

Hope the cause can be found to make us all more aware..

 

[Minxy]

Now is a good time to remind people to test their smoke alarms not only in your bricks and mortar home but in your wheeled home too.

The smoke alarm in our camper started playing up the other day and won't reset so it's obviously stuffed! In the process of looking for another I've found that there are 2 types: ionising and photoelectric (aka optical) - both have their merits and I'm currently trying to decide which to replace our ionising one with!

The below extract is from the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service website:

Broken Link Removed

Choosing a smoke alarm
For the best protection, you should install one of each. However, if you can’t have both, it’s still safer to have either one, rather than none at all. There are two types of smoke alarm:

• Ionisation alarms are the cheapest and most readily available smoke alarms. They are also very sensitive to ‘flaming fires’ – fires that burn fiercely, like chip-pan fires. Ionisation alarms will detect flaming fires before the smoke gets too thick.
  
• Optical alarms are more expensive. However, they are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, like smouldering foam-filled furniture or overheated wiring. Optical alarms are less likely to go off accidentally and so are best for ground-floor hallways and for homes on one level.

​

 

[mjltigger]

While you are looking, if you find one that is OK to use within a couple of feet of a cooker let us know. All the ones I have looked at need to be well away from a cooker... In other words outside my van...

 

[Minxy]

Not if you get one with a hush/silence/pause button ... our old one had this and could be deactivated for about 10 minutes at a time ... long enough to burn the toast!

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[simply]

“Owners need to make sure they have batteries in their carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide readers, as those sort of things can save lives.”

We have a smoke and C02 alarm and a fire extinguisher.

Pardon me but what is a carbon dioxide reader or Co2 alarm and what is the value of such ?

 

[DavidG58]

CO (carbon monoxide) Invaluable, silent killer, it has no smell, it is what kills suicide attempts in cars (or used to before catalytic convertors) plus recent barbeque in tent stories, they were CO poisoning

CO2 monitor I think is a typo, carbon dioxide is essential, but a lack of it could be useful if it could be monitored

 

[simply]

That's what I thought, thank you, but when the article also specifically stated carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide readers I thought it was me that was missing something

 

[Gorse Hill]

Now is a good time to remind people to test their smoke alarms not only in your bricks and mortar home but in your wheeled home too.

The smoke alarm in our camper started playing up the other day and won't reset so it's obviously stuffed! In the process of looking for another I've found that there are 2 types: ionising and photoelectric (aka optical) - both have their merits and I'm currently trying to decide which to replace our ionising one with!

The below extract is from the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service website:

Broken Link Removed

Choosing a smoke alarm
For the best protection, you should install one of each. However, if you can’t have both, it’s still safer to have either one, rather than none at all. There are two types of smoke alarm:

• Ionisation alarms are the cheapest and most readily available smoke alarms. They are also very sensitive to ‘flaming fires’ – fires that burn fiercely, like chip-pan fires. Ionisation alarms will detect flaming fires before the smoke gets too thick.
• Optical alarms are more expensive. However, they are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, like smouldering foam-filled furniture or overheated wiring. Optical alarms are less likely to go off accidentally and so are best for ground-floor hallways and for homes on one level.

​

For the cost minx buy them both to be on the safe side

 

[Gorse Hill]

While you are looking, if you find one that is OK to use within a couple of feet of a cooker let us know. All the ones I have looked at need to be well away from a cooker... In other words outside my van...

You need a heat alarm, these are generally used in kitchens as part of a fire detection system

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[movan]

Crumbs, didn't realise how important the unreeling of the reel was.

 

[mjltigger]

Crumbs, didn't realise how important the unreeling of the reel was.

My dad (an electronics and avionics engineer) laughed when he saw me unrolling mine.. said the power you would need to draw through decent cable was significantly more than a caravan (in the days before I saw sense) could possibly pull..

I've ignored him and always unroll anyway but still feel a little silly doing it..

 

[Gaston aires]

“Owners need to make sure they have batteries in their carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide readers, as those sort of things can save lives.”



Pardon me but what is a carbon dioxide reader or Co2 alarm and what is the value of such ?

CO2 is the same as carbon dioxide. Silent killer more dangerous than fire where you have a chance to escape. See David G58.

 

[scotjimland]

CO2 is the same as carbon dioxide. Silent killer more dangerous than fire where you have a chance to escape. See David G58.

sorry, but you are confusing the two gasses

Carbon Monoxide CO , a product of combustion when not enough oxygen is present .. is the silent killer..

Carbon Dioxide.. CO2 .. a naturally occurring gas that plants convert into oxygen , soluble in water, used to carbonate soft drinks.. and many other uses...

 

[hilldweller]

Carbon Dioxide.. CO2 .. a naturally occurring gas that plants convert into oxygen , soluble in water, used to carbonate soft drinks.. and many other uses...

Which can kill you in 90 seconds according to an anesthetist I know. If it fills your lungs then you can't breathe you suffocate. So be careful with CO2 fire extinguishers in confined places, like a MH.

I know one person, big biker, he opened a drinks can and took some huge gulps. Fell over could not breathe but that saved him as the heavy CO2 escaped as he was on the floor. That is exactly as he told it, I know no more.

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[hilldweller]

My dad (an electronics and avionics engineer) laughed when he saw me unrolling mine.. said the power you would need to draw through decent cable was significantly more than a caravan (in the days before I saw sense) could possibly pull..

I've ignored him and always unroll anyway but still feel a little silly doing it..

You were right. On Garda one year a German next door was wandering round "keine strom, keine strom". So I tried to help as we do, his post checked out, and in the end I saw a coiled up lead under his caravan. It was steaming hot and fortunately had a thermal trip inside. He was using an electric BBQ, never seen one before, and the current it drew together with the coiled cable generated enough heat to trip the thermostat. It's not induction as many think but simple resistance. So once again England 1 : Germany : 0.

 

[Puddleduck]

The smoke alarm in our camper started playing up the other day and won't reset so it's obviously stuffed! In the process of looking for another I've found that there are 2 types: ionising and photoelectric (aka optical) - both have their merits and I'm currently trying to decide which to replace our ionising one with

For the cost minx buy them both to be on the safe side

You beat me to it!

 

[gozomike]

didn't realise how important the unreeling of the reel was.

I remember a few years ago, when running courses in schools, walking passed a classroom being used as the 'Tea Room' and smelling burning. Someone had put the urn on and left the extension cable reeled up.

 

[scotjimland]

Which can kill you in 90 seconds according to an anesthetist I know. If it fills your lungs then you can't breathe you suffocate. So be careful with CO2 fire extinguishers in confined places, like a MH.

yes indeed Brian
I once stepped into a generator enclose after a fire that had been extinguish by the auto CO2 system.. and was almost suffocated by the residual CO2 .. so very well aware of the dangers.. you only do it once.. .

Nitrogen is another good example of a non toxic gas that can't sustain life..

 

[DavidG58]

Just to qualify this unroll your cable issue

Does this only apply if you keep your EHU cable on a reel, if loosely coiled as I think most do, but not on a reel is that OK?

Effectively as it comes out of the accessory shop

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[movan]

Just to qualify this unroll your cable issue

Does this only apply if you keep your EHU cable on a reel, if loosely coiled as I think most do, but not on a reel is that OK?

Effectively as it comes out of the accessory shop

I was told at a meet that it was not ok to leave it as coiled .. it should be shaken about a bit to make it loose .. if you understand what I mean . Maybe someone else will come along and confirm or deny it though .. people seem to differ in opinions on most things, don't they.

 

[gozomike]

Does this only apply if you keep your EHU cable on a reel, if loosely coiled as I think most do, but not on a reel is that OK?

The reel would not have any effect. It depends on how tight the cable is coiled, how many turns & how much current is being passed.

Some reels are marked for max load coiled and un coiled.

 

[hilldweller]

if loosely coiled as I think most do

If cooling air can circulate you should be OK. My German neighbour had it tightly coiled and was using something like 3kW which is uncommon except for the "I've got free electricity so I'll have my awning like a sauner" types.

 

[DavidG58]

If cooling air can circulate you should be OK. My German neighbour had it tightly coiled and was using something like 3kW which is uncommon except for the "I've got free electricity so I'll have my awning like a sauner" types.

Thank you

We are going to Scotland for New Year, we have a 3Kw option on the Alde system and have used it set on 3 on occasion with gas as well to get warm, in future with cable well shaken up a la Joy

 

[Gromett]

Pulled into the CL earlier and noted that both caravans have their EHU cable coiled underneath their van. I wanted to say something but didn't want to create an uncomfortable atmosphere as I am here for 2 weeks and by the looks of things so are they.

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