Thatch Safe Cooking! No Smoking!

How do we know that the owners of thatched properties are non smoking careful cooks?

Causes of House fires in non-thatched homes:

• Cooking – 50%+
• Electrical appliances – 13%
• Smoking – 7%
• Electrical Distribution – 7%
• Heating devices – 4%
• “Other” – 15%

Causes of House fires in thatched properties:

• Electrical faults
• Faults in the flu or flu liner
• Stray sparks from the chimneys, discarded cigarettes and garden bonfire
• Heat transfer can be added to this list 

There we have it, owners of thatched properties are careful cooks who monitor carefully their chip pans – and who don’t fall asleep while holding burning cigarettes!  

Thatch fire is a very serious matter - as is any house fire - an understanding of where risk lies, careful and adequate preparation, along with the application of preventative measures - physical and mental - are the keys to longevity and safety.

Some more Statistics:

What you get from your thatch:

• Water reed 55-65 years
• Combed wheat 20-40 years
• Long Straw 15-25 years

Dangers:

• 50,000 thatched homes in the UK
• 50 to 100 thatched homes are destroyed or seriously damaged every year

Chances of Fire:

• Chances of fire in a normal house – 1:320
• Chances of fire in a thatched house – 1:735

Recorded Deaths:

• 1 death in twentieth century from a thatch fire 

 We can help you with your insurance The Thatch Advice Centre can help you with the rest!

You can't always blame the chimney, but the chef......well, that's another matter!

Drunken hotel chef torched listed building

25 October. Updated: 25 October 15:53

Stratford Observer

 

A CHEF who started a fire which completely destroyed a 17th century listed building and took pictures of it burning on a drunken ghost hunt with friends has walked free from court.  George Forster had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to arson at the Grade II listed thatched cottage known as Cutlin Mill, on the Alscot estate, in Atherstone-on-Stour.

The 24-year-old, of Hunts Road, Stratford, was given a 12 months suspended sentence and was ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work and to take part in a Thinking Skills programme.
Prosecutor Neil Bannister said Cutlin Mill was a listed building, but in May last year was described as derelict with a planning application lodged to restore it.

The building, which had a thatched roof and timber-framed walls, was owned by the Alscot estate but had not been occupied since the 60s. In the early hours of May 28 last year Forster and a number of friends travelled to Cutlin Mill, which was reputed to be haunted, in two cars and, drinking and messing about, and went inside.

The court heard Forster, a talented pastry chef who has worked for a number of Stratford hotels, said 'let's burn it'.  He then used a deodorant can and a lighter to set light to some loose thatch, and it caught fire quickly. The group then stayed to watch it burn down and Forster took photos on his mobile phone, and used it to take a number of photos as the fire was raging.
An Alscot employee was alerted and fire crews attended - but the building was completely destroyed, leaving only the chimney and gables standing.

After appeals by the police, Forster was arrested in September and his phone, which he had tried to hide under his mattress, was seized and still had pictures of the fire on it.  He said he had been drunk that night when he and his friends went to the ‘haunted house,’ and accepted he was 80 per cent to blame for the fire although he claimed it had been a little fire inside the house which got out of control.

Mr Bannister added Forster, who had a previous conviction for causing damage, has sent a letter to Alscot representatives expressing his shame.  Jamie Strong, defending, conceded the fire had been started deliberately in an offence of 'stupidity' but he didn't realise it would take over the whole building.

Judge Paul Farrer QC condemned Forster's behaviour as an act of 'drunken stupidity' but said because he was a young man with potential he had taken the 'exceptional step' not to jail him.

 

Call us for a no obligation insurance quote:

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Suffolk Preservation Society Update

For info on the "burning issue" follow the link below:

Autumn Conference Fire and Thatch: a burning issue: http://www.suffolksociety.org/mediareleasefireandthatchoct11.pdf

The increasing incidence of fire in recent years.......

Thatch Safety

Occupants of thatched properties in the New Forest urged to act now and stay safe...

18 Oct 2011

There are over 800 thatched properties in the New Forest and as winter fast approaches Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging owners and occupants of thatched properties to take extra care before the colder weather arrives to reduce the risk of fire.

Group Manager for the New Forest area Steve Quinn states:“Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has developed a Thatch Information Pack (TIP) which includes essential maintenance and fire prevention tips, along with other supporting material, to help owners and occupants of thatch properties minimise the risk of fire. Hampshire residents can call Hampshire Fire and Rescue Serve Community Safety department on 023 8062 6809 to request a copy of the Thatch Information Pack.”  Read more

Thatch Safety Advice from the Thatch Advice Center

Thatch fires do get a lot of bad publicity but, with sensible precautions, you can greatly reduce the risk and, in most cases, reduce your insurance premium

There are specialist products available to reduce the fire risk in thatched properties

• Fire retardant spray www.magmafirestop.co.uk 
• Fire barriers eg THATCH-SAFE®
• Alarm system

http://www.thatchadvicecentre.co.uk/fire_safety_advice1.html