Preventing a fire

The thatch is designed to repel water and so for a Fire and Rescue Service this makes it a difficult task to extinguish such fires. - prevention is essential, detection is often too late.

The following fire safety advice is recommended for everyone living in thatched buildings:

• it is important to insulate the chimney flue to prevent the heat from transferring into the thatch layer. This is especially important when a solid fuel or wood burner is installed as they burn at higher temperatures (300°C to 600°C) than conventional open fires
• have the chimney swept regularly by a qualified chimney sweep. A chimney in regular use should be swept twice a year.
• don’t burn wet or unseasoned wood as this will lead to a greater build-up of soot deposits in the flue and have the brickwork and rendering checked by a professional builder/qualified chimney engineer. If in doubt, fit a suitable steel insulated liner
• consider a system of heat sensors within the thatch around the chimney. This will give you an early warning of any overheating of the thatch
• if you are undertaking renovation work or re-roofing, consider forming a fireproof barrier between the roof timbers and the thatch layer
• ensure that the top of the chimney stack is at least 1.8 metres (about six feet) above the ridge. This will allow sparks to die away before they drop on to the thatch.
• spark arresters can help prevent fires, but they must be kept clean. This should be done every 3 months on chimneys in regular use
• fit smoke detectors in the roof space – these should be linked so that a detector operating in the roof space will activate the other detectors in the property
• if you have any painting or plumbing work done involving a blow torch, be sure the person undertaking the work has a suitable fire extinguisher to hand
• all electrical work should be carried out by a competent professional
• wiring in the roof space should be checked regularly
• install an outside tap with enough hose to reach around the house including the roof. This can be used to extinguish any fires at an early stage
• avoid having bonfires/fireworks near thatched buildings – and make sure your neighbours are aware of the danger to your home from their bonfires/fireworks
• be extra vigilant if bonfires are being lit nearby
• use a bulkhead type light fitting in your loft space
• never burn rubbish or garden waste near the property
• where television aerials cannot be fitted to a freestanding pole, the aerial should be fixed to a gable or gable-end chimney, where the cable can be run down the wall, avoiding contact with the thatch

Read more Here

Fire chiefs issue stark warning to West Country thatched property owners

WITH the winter months approaching, fire fighters in North Devon are urging householders to ensure their chimney is safe.

Last year in North Devon and Exeter there were 238 fires, and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Services had attended 75 in the area so far this year, including a chimney fire in Holsworthy yesterday (Thursday) evening.

Lee Shepherd, who has been a fire fighter at Barnstaple since 2002, is a registered chimney sweep and is urging people to keep their houses safe.

He said: “I’ve been sweeping over North Devon since 2007 and to date I have issued over 700 chimney certificates, given a lot of advice and learnt a lot along the way from many experienced builders and roofers.

“One of my elderly customers had been suffering from severe headaches for more than five years, and was prescribed various medications for this from her GP.

“Her routine would be to sit in front the gas fire every night and she would go off to bed very sleepy around 9pm.

“What they didn’t know was that she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, as the gas fire’s chimney had a large nest restricting the vent of fumes and gases escaping.”

Alan Kyle, watch manager at Bideford Fire Station, said: “With the colder, winter months looming, people will begin to start using open fires and their chimneys again.

“In order to keep you and your family safe from fire, you need to take necessary steps such as ensuring your chimney is swept regularly, depending upon what fuel you burn, and I would urge all householders to have a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm in their home.”

The fire service is also writing to all thatch property owners across Bideford, Barnstaple and Exeter to offer advice on keeping their homes safe.

“Although thatch fires are not common, over 90 per cent of thatched roof fires start as a result of a faulty flue or chimney,” added watch commander Kyle.

“The thatch is designed to repel water which makes extinguishing such fires difficult.”

See the full story in the North Devon Gazette here.

Thatch fire aftermath

The East Anglian Daily Times carried dramatic pictures this week showing the devastating effects of a thatch fire in Brettenham Road, Hitcham.

Click here to see more images.

Thatched cottage saved by firemen

FIREFIGHTERS prevented a thatched cottage in Cuxham being badly damaged by a blaze. 

They were called to the house at about 6.30pm on Tuesday and spent two hours tackling the fire. 

Seven fire engines from Henley, Wallingford, Thame and Abingdon arrived at the property where smoke was billowing from the ground floor. 

Eight firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire, which was caused by an open fire in the living room that had been left unattended. 

A water carrier, incident support unit, control unit, rescue tender and aerial ladder platform also attended. 


Station manager Bob Speakman said: “This unfortunate incident could have been far worse had the fire taken hold of the thatched roof. 

“As it was, the right resources were put in place and quick intervention by crews prevented the spread of fire from the living room. 

“I am convinced that given a few more minutes left unchecked, the fire would have spread to the roof and caused extensive damage.” 

He urged householders with open fires to use a guard and to have a working smoke alarm. 

Read more on this story here

Firefighters tackle cottage blaze near Watlington

Eight firefighters helped fight a serious house blaze that could have spread to neighbouring houses if it had been left for a few more minutes.

The fire took place at a thatched cottage in Cuxham village, near Watlington at around 6.10pm yesterday.

Smoke was coming from the living room area on the ground floor and eight firefighters were needed to extinguish the serious blaze to stop it spreading to the thatched roof and houses next door.

Seven fire engines from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the house.

Station Manager Bob Speakman said, “This unfortunate incident could have been far worse had the fire taken hold of the thatched roof.

"As it was, the right resources were put in place and quick intervention by crews prevented the spread of fire from the living room area.

“I am convinced that given only a few more minutes left unchecked, the fire would have spread to the roof, causing extensive damage and the threat of spread to other surrounding thatched properties.”

Read more here

Academic study on thatching reviewed

Just found this thorough and helpful review of a weighty tome on the subject of Thatching in Western Europe...

“This excellent book about thatching in Western Europe covers a subject which has so far received little attention on a larger scale. Thatched roofs and the techniques employed in making them are very vulnerable to the elements and tend to change over time, which makes the recording of them especially important. The jury were particularly impressed with the wide area covered in the study and the detailed discussion of techniques, materials and the social context of thatching.”

This in-depth study traces the ancient tradition of thatching, from Northwest Spain to the most strongly represented areas across Western Europe. The wide scope of the field work covers Iberia, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, France and the Italian Piedmont. The comparative methodology employed is the first of its kind and has filled a previous void in recorded knowledge of thatching throughout Western Europe."

To continue reading click here.

The fascinating origins and practice of thatching

Loosely speaking, thatching is the use of straw or grasses as a building material. Using thatch for roofing goes back as far as the Bronze Age in Britain. At Shearplace Hall in Dorset there are remains of a round hut that shows signs of thatching. 



Thatched cottages and farm buildings were the norm in rural Britain for a millennium or more. Why the attraction to thatch? First of all, the building practices of bygone Britain ran to lightweight, irregular materials, such as wattle and daub walls, and cruck beams. These walls were simply not made to take much weight, and thatch was by far the lightest weight material available.

The study of materials used in thatch buildings can get pretty obscure, but basically, people used whatever was available locally.

This meant materials as diverse as broom, sedge, sallow, flax, grass, and straw. Most common is wheat straw in the south of England, and reeds in East Anglia. Norfolk reed is especially prized by thatchers, although in northern England and Scotland heather was frequently used.

Read more on the Britain Express website here

Devon fire crews report thatch fire in Axminster

Fire Control received a call reporting a chimney fire at a thatched property in Holy City. Two appliances from Chard attended the property, the fire was believed to be out and crews used a thermal imaging camera to ensure the fire was extinguished.

See the incident report here.

How thatched roofed pub landlords pulled back from the brink of ruin after devastating fire

A recent story in the Bridport News reports how two popular East Devon publicans are retiring after coming close to ruin following a devastating that fire several years ago:

Brian Jenkins, 62, and wife Denise Jenkins, 59, have been pulling pints at the New Inn at Kilmington, East Devon, for more than 21 years.

They have led the pub into being one of CAMRA’s Magnificent Seven, as they are in the select group of pubs mentioned in each of the 41 editions of the Good Beer Guide.

The couple’s success was made all the more satisfying after the pub was destroyed by a fire sparked in the thatched roof and was shut for nearly a year for rebuilding.

Mr Jenkins said: “We only had what we stood up in and that was it, everything else was gone. It was devastating, and it plays on my mind now when I start thinking about it.”

After the fire, the pub was rebuilt and reopened.

Read more here

174-year-old Barrington school has roof re-thatched

One of the last remaining schools with a traditional thatched roof has had the rustic reeds replaced during the summer holidays.

The 174-year-old school in the village of Barrington was re-thatched with a reed roof for the first time in village’s living memory.

Teaching 150 children, the school is one of only three in the country to have a traditional thatched roof.

The school’s Headteacher, Mrs Francesca Catterson, said: “This year marks Barrington primary school’s 175th anniversary and just in time for the celebrations, the old school house received a much needed makeover. “We are absolutely delighted with the new thatch which required the specialist skills and know-how of Pepper Thatchers.

“Despite our age the school retains the same strong Christian family values upon which it was founded.”

Chris Pepper, of Pepper’s Cambridge Thatching, said: “It is extremely unusual for a school in this country to have a thatched roof and we have never done one before,

“The school roof has taken about six weeks to complete. We need to have it ready in charge for the new school term.”

Val Tookey, clerk of Barrington Parish Council, said: “‘I have been connected to the village for more than 40 years and I don’t remember it ever being thatched before. It has been re-patched in the past, but it’s the first time it has been re-thatched completely for a long, long time, and definitely not within my lifetime.”

She added: “It has been exciting to see it being done.”

Opened in 1838, the school the school cost £500 to build, which included £25 for the sedge roof

Read more here