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Fire Drill |
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How many of us give any thought to what we would do if we were unfortunate enough to have a fire occur in our Campervan or Motorhome?
We should take advantage of getting together at our Chapter outings to discuss this matter and to work out strategies by discussion with other members. In this way, common plans could be developed for various situations.
There are a number of scenarios relevant to the occurrence of a fire.
- The occupants could be asleep in their unit.
- The lady (if she is indeed the cook) could be preparing a meal.
- The occupants may be eating their meal, or just relaxing after a meal.
- You may be travelling.
- There may be nobody at the unit at the time.
If any of these events occurred would you know exactly what to do?
Would you have the correct equipment available, in the right place, to immediately fight the fire?
If asleep, do you have a smoke alarm installed to give you early warning?.
If you have Extinguishers installed, are they placed correctly and do you both know how to use them correctly without having to think about it?
A lot of publicity has been given lately to the need to install Smoke Alarms in homes - I feel that they are even more necessary in a Motorhome because of the limited escape routes in most of them. The bed is often at the rear while the door is at or towards the front of the unit.
EQUIPMENT.
- There should be at least 1 Smoke detector installed, perhaps in the centre of the unit, or near the sleeping area.
- There should be at least 1 Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher, preferably 2 and their placement requires a lot of thought.
- A Fire blanket is also a good idea in case of a fire on the stove. If a fire blanket is not available, then a wet towel will make a good substitute in an emergency. NEVER THROW WATER ON TO A FAT OR OIL FIRE - this will only spread the fire.
- Of course, the CMCA’s requirement to have a Fire Bucket available at each unit is a must.
- The size of the Motorhome and its layout will dictate the amount of equipment which should be provided and also its deployment.
There is, however, no point in having the correct equipment available if its use is not fully understood and practiced. It is also important to periodically check that your Extinguishers are in working condition. Most modern Extinguishers have a gauge attached which indicates whether they are ready for operation. Both people in the unit must be very familiar with the operation of the equipment.
In any fire situation in a Motorhome or Campervan, a quick response is essential, before a fire can get established.
Placement of Fire Extinguishers.
Each layout of a Motorhome will require study to determine the best placement of these units. It is obvious that a person should not have to go past the seat of a fire to reach an Extinguisher, if possible, so thought must be given to where a fire is most likely to occur.
If 2 extinguishers are installed, it may be wise to locate one near the driver’s seat and one near the side door. This could cover a number of situations. If a fire occurred while travelling, then it would be quickly and easily available to either the driver or the passenger, for immediate response. It would also be easy to access the rear unit from outside. NSW Fire Brigades suggest that it could be wise to have an extinguisher near the bed in case of a fire occurring during the night.
The following information is just as relevant in our home as in our Motorhome.
We should all work out an “escape plan” to get us out of danger in the event of a fire. This plan should become familiar to everyone in the Motorhome (or the household) and should be practiced on a regular basis so that, in the event of a fire, we will act instinctively and not have to endanger ourselves further by panicking through lack of knowledge.
A quick response is essential to a fire in a Motorhome because of the confined space - a fire will soon spread and be beyond the resources immediately to hand. Here again, various scenarios should be set up and responses to them worked out. It is then essential to practice these responses on a regular basis. That is the meaning of the title of this paper.
Some Preventative Activities.
* LPG. While LP gas is quite safe under normal working conditions, it can become both the cause of a fire if a leak occurs and become a ha*ard in a fire unless it can be isolated (turned off at the bottle) and the bottle kept reasonably cool during the fire. Any loose bottles should be removed from the fire *one. Regularly check that all LP gas connections to cylinders and to appliances are tight and not likely to leak. Check for any damage to piping. See that gas cylinders are securely fixed in place. Fit an approved automatic safety shut-off valve to LP gas cylinders.
- Check electrical leads for fraying and loose or damaged connections and for any other visual damage.
- Cook with care. Never leave cooking unattended.
- Switch off electrical items (which are not designed to be left on) at the power point and remove the plug when not in use.
- Store flammable liquids in approved sealed containers and never transport them inside the Motorhome.
- If possible, have some kind of garden hose available on site for fire fighting.
- Site your unit in a clear area when bush camping, away from long grass, and never accumulate rubbish around the unit to act as a fuel load.
- If you have installed dry powder extinguishers, turn them upside down and give them a good shake on a regular basis, as the powder will otherwise settle down hard during travel and not be usable when needed.
- Never leave children unattended in your unit.
- Discard cigarettes carefully - ensure that they are out - never smoke in bed.
From Alan Tesch, Chairman of the Board, writing in the April 2002 edition of the Wanderer:
It is also law that all motorhomes either built or converted since October 1990, comply with Australian Design Rule 44.2.8.3 which specifically requires that all motorhomes and caravans must have at least one fire extinguisher fitted and located correctly in accordance with Australian Design Rule AS 2444 - 1985. Single compartment vehicles require one (1) extinguisher and multi-compartment units require at least two (2). Regular fire extinguisher inspections to ensure that correct internal pressure is maintained is vital. The fire extinguishers we are now required to use are a dry powder extinguisher - Type A, B & E. The container is red with a white band around the middle. An extinguisher with a flexible rubber hose is recommended, as this is much easier to use to fight a fire up under a vehicle or dashboard than one with a fixed outlet. A sign marking its location is very important in case some other person is required to fight your fire. A fire blanket and smoke detectors are also a good idea
Fire Blankets
A useful item of safety equipment is a Fire Blanket usually costing around $25 to $30. They are commonly one metre square and come in a quick release pouch with a mounting grommet.
They are great for quickly smothering fires without leaving a mess behind
Of course you need to address the cause of the fire quickly as well as dealing with the fire itself.Note – Leave the blanket over the fire to make sure it is out.
Don't be tempted to lift it to check too soon!
Fire Blankets should be mounted in an easily accessible spot. For example beside your fire extinguisher, and certainly not kept in the cupboard above the stove, where fires commonly start, because you would have to reach over the flames to access it.
Maintenance of Fire Extinguishers
The most obvious tips are to make sure that your fire extinguisher is not out of date and to regularly check that the gauge remains in the ‘green region'.
However a very important safety issue is often overlooked.
Most motorhomes are fitted with a ‘powder type' fire extinguisher and after driving for a time, this powder tends to pack down. It is necessary, (say on a monthly basis) to remove the extinguisher, turn it upside down and bump it lightly to free up this powder in the base of the extinguisher.
It is easy to tell when this powder is moving freely because you can feel it moving within the fire extinguisher when the cylinder is tipped back and forth.
Sent in by Bob Eustace from an American website
(warning: never use a foam extinguisher when 240v is on!)
" I was standing in the motorhome parking area at the FMCA rally in Indio, California, today with a couple of other people when we noticed that we were smelling smoke from a fire. It had a very acrid smell and wasn't at all like a brush fire. Almost immediately a woman yelled "A motorhome's on fire! Call 911!" over and over. I ran toward my motorhome hoping that it wasn't mine, and saw that the second motorhome away from mine was the one on fire. I ran directly to my motorhome to get the large foam fire extinguisher I had purchased at the Hutchinson FMCA rally 3 months earlier.
A couple of people were attacking the fire at the refrigerator vent area on the side of the motorhome, but flames were still coming out of the roof vent. I immediately went to the back of the motorhome with my fire extinguisher, climbed the ladder and went over to the refrigerator roof vent. I tried to pull the vent cover off, but it was too hot. I shoved the nozzle in the side of the partially melted vent cover and released foam into the refrigerator cavity. Phil, from the parking crew, came along side me and grabbed the vent cover and pulled it off. I was then able to easily foam the sides and middle of the refrigerator cavity, and I continued this until the foam ran out. About 10 seconds after the foam ran out all of the smoking from the fire had stopped. I stayed on top a while longer, then asked my wife to bring our camera over and I took some pictures, which I posted at: http://ddaughters.tripod.com/
When the fire department arrived they checked for remaining hot spots using a thermal imager, but didn't find any. Foam from my extinguisher covered the coils of the refrigerator and the walls of the cavity, and had run out on the ground. The fireman making the report told me that what I did probably made the difference in saving the motorhome. No one was in the motorhome at the time of the fire and no one was hurt.
About a year ago I read on the internet where there was a motorhome fire in Quartzsite, and a person with a foam fire extinguisher was able to put the fire out when others with powder extinguishers couldn't. I looked for foam fire extinguishers at Home Depot and Lowes, but couldn't find one. I later attended a Fire & Life Safety seminar at the FMCA rally in Hutchinson, Kansas, and after the seminar I bought the largest size fire extinguisher that Mac McCoy (the person giving the seminar) had. I never dreamed that I'd use it and actually stop a fire 3 months later. Foam really works. I don't think I could have put the fire out with one of the smaller foam extinguishers. I think the smaller ones would be good for a fire where you are there, see it right away, and can put it out before it grows too much. The fire today was burning until the smoke was bad enough for people in the motorhome next to it to notice.
The motorhome was a 96 or 97 Monaco Dynasty with a Norcold refrigerator. At first look, the refrigerator doesn't appear to be one of the ones on Norcold's recall list. The fire department said that it appeared that the fire started from some electric wires that were too close to the propane combustion area. I could see wires that had their insulation burned off, but I couldn't tell if they burned off from overheating of the wires or from a propane fire. It's been several hours since the fire's been out and I'm still hyper from all of it.
Photos description: http://ddaughters.tripod.com/
(If you click the thumbnail photo a larger one will load)
1 & 2 are of the top of the motorhome at the refrigerator roof vent
3 is two guys looking at the side refrigerator vent
4 is the refrigerator side vent area closer. You can see foam dripping off the parts.
5 is looking up the side vent toward the roof. You can see more foam
6 & 7 are fire trucks and firemen
8 & 9 are closer up photos of the area where the fire probably started
-- Daryl Daughters (I don't sell fire extinguishers, and I don't have anything to do with the people who sell them at FMCA (America) rallies, except that I bought one from them, and I'm glad that I did)