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!