Dry Weather and Fire Risk
Dry hot weather, creates dry thatched roofs and a recent thatched property fire, has meant we felt the need to promote some fire safety advice regarding bonfire risk.
Recently, a bonfire caught the hedge alight which in turn caught the thatched property on fire. A terrible incident for all concerned. Please don’t make fires when everything is dry. We have luckily had some rain since then but another dry spell can pose a risk to dry vegetation if fires are lit. This is even more important to be aware of when everyone is enjoying the outside during the summer holidays.
These risks include bonfires, barbeques and even smoking!
Relevant Recent Articles
The BBC wrote a very good article on avoiding bonfires.
There was also a useful article from one of the leading loss adjusters – Woodgate & Clarke on the Summer Fire Risks to dry roofs from sparks. This article advocates the risk reduction of damping the roof or considering specialist fire retardant treatment.
Suffolk County Council contributed an excellent article on fire safety advice for residents of thatched homes in the East Anglian Daily Times
Some relevant words from the article on bonfires etc
“If you live under thatch, steer clear of bonfires, fireworks, and sky lanterns – they are simply too risky. It’s also worth reminding your neighbours about this, as their actions could put your home in danger….”
Understand the Fire Risks in the Summer
Please read our Thatch Fire Safety leaflet to understand and reduce all fire risks.
This hot dry summer has been a fire risk for everyone and thatched roofs are just more vulnerable than others when its dry. The bonfire risk was highlighted by the recent fire so, sadly, we must use this as an important reminder on how to reduce the chance of fire and stay safe