Motorhome Fire Safety

If your motorhome were to catch fire, would you know how to respond? With an oven, a petrol engine and so many electrics in the same place, it’s not uncommon for motorhome fires to start and we do get motorhome insurance claims every year about vehicles that have set fire. Though the reality doesn’t bear thinking about, it’s important to remain cool and remember a few simple tips in the event of a motorhome fire.

Keep Calm, Act Quickly

Motorhome fires can be quickly extinguished if they are small and you have an extinguisher or fire blanket to hand. Act as fast as you can to put out the fire, but don’t endanger yourself in the process. Ensure anyone else in your motorhome knows whats going on and ensure they evacuate as fast as possible using all available doors. If you are unable to put the fire out yourself, make sure you call the emergency services when you’re safely away from the vehicle.

Leave Personal Possessions

Any fire drill you’ve ever done will tell you to leave behind your personal possessions, but it’s especially true in a motorhome. So much of a motorhome is very flammable, particularly if you have a canvas awning. If a fire starts, it will spread, so don’t take any unnecessary risks for personal items.

Keep Well Clear

Finally, it’s important to keep well clear of your motorhome if there is a fire and, if necessary, warn nearby campers to evacuate their motorhomes. If a fire should reach a petrol tank or gas canisters, debris can easily be caught up and, even if you’re safely evacuated, you could be seriously injured. Stand well back and call 999 from a distance.

Motorhome fires can be controlled and put out quickly, but you should never endanger yourself or others in attempting to put an out-of-control fire out. Ensure the fire brigade are notified as soon as possible; make sure you’re safe first and you can worry about damages later.