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Original poster

A SERIOUS WARNING....I SAW THE MOST FRIGHTENING CAMPING THING THIS WEEKEND

52 replies

sassyTHEFIRST · 02/06/2011 08:36

A tent fire which reduced a v large tent and EVERYTHING inside to ash in under 3 minutes.

The speed of it was the most terrifying thing ever.

Caused by a silly mistake - one of our group changed the canister on a gas lamp while the mantle was still hot so it ignited and shot out a 2 foot flame. The guy then dropped it and it rolled towards the tent - and whooosh. Horrible.Thankkfully noone was inside and apart from nasty burns on the guy's hand all are ok.

So we now have extra rules. No gas anywhere near tents (he was outside but clearly not far enough); no children inside sleeping compartments and especially not zipped up.

Oh yeah, and check insurance covers you before you go. This couple lost everything and their insurance won't cough because they weren't in a building. Two and a half grand's worth of kit and clothes, teddies, toothbrushes...Sad

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 04/06/2011 16:57

I always keep a knife in the sleeping compartment at night as well under my karrimat.

Realise this may not be very practical if you have small kids but I know someone whose life was saved as he had a knife with him. He was asleep in his sleeping bag, his mate started brewing up some tea and somehow set the tent on fire. He managed to slit the tent and get out unharmed, tent was destroyed in under a minute.

thisisyesterday · 05/06/2011 00:13

scary stuff

we were talking this week about tents catching fire (camping on a site with campfires)

makes me nervous!!!

MollieO · 05/06/2011 15:24

I never have the gas cooker anywhere near a tent. If it is raining I use an umbrella whilst cooking. I'm always amazed when I see people cooking inside canopies.

RantyMcRantpants · 07/06/2011 11:29

Bloomin' 'eck I was looking at our fire extingisher during our holiday and thinking should get a new one, will make it a priority now and a fire blanket. Though looking at that video I don't know how much it will help if the the unthinkable were to happen.

Slubberdegullion · 07/06/2011 11:41

Ranty, something (extinguisher/blanket/fire bucket) is I would imagine in most circumstances, better than nothing in the first few moments of a fire taking hold. But your extinguisher/bucket would have to be right there to hand for it to be effective.

I have an extinguisher and a bucket. The bucket would be my first port of call as in an emergency i imagine I would be so flustered and all fingers and thumbs that i would end up spraying the extinguisher in my face.

Of course tents would never catch fire if people didn't cook or use anything so hot that it is likely to catch fire in or near their tents.

Saw a family last week cooking on both burners of their gas stove right inside the tent, up next to the bedroom compartments with their children in them. Unbelievably stupid.

RantyMcRantpants · 07/06/2011 12:14

We tend to cook on the BBQ outside but our trailer tent has a kitchen that is part of it and sits under a fire retartant window and is as far away from the bedroom area as possible but we don't cook on it when the children are in the tent at all and I keep a bowl of water in the sink next to the cooker as well. Might have to do some thinking about cooking inside.

Pootles2010 · 07/06/2011 12:20

I used to help run a scout group, the leader once told me about the time he had to rip open the back of a tent to drag two boys out when it caught fire... Unfortunately young lads can be daft and tried to have a sneaky fag inside the tent. All were fine thank god.

I always wonder at festivals how they are allowed to pitch tents so close together - lots of drunk people, bbqs, fireworks, and very closely pitched tents not a good idea surely?!

Mumanator · 07/06/2011 12:28

Love the chit chat between little 'Alan' and his Dad on that video clip - lisad123 - def. worth a watch!

The fire is frighteningly fast too - but I hate camping and would rather saty at home anyway Grin

BikeRunSki · 07/06/2011 12:32

Have you heard of a company called MSR? they make stoves, more for mountaineering than family camping, as very tiny and lightweight. Well, they were started by the father of a young man who died when his stove set his tent on fire. MSR stands for Mountain Safety Research. DH knew the young man a little, and will not use any other stoves. Neither of us EVER cooks inside the tent.

Don't use a stove close to the exhaust of a car/van either. Fumes can settle there for hours. Someone at work was very badly injured when he jumped out of his van, went round the bac to get out his stove to cook up some lunch and - bang - . Van badly damaged too.

twooter · 07/06/2011 12:35

I know of two incidents of tents catching fire on D of E expeditions. Nobody killed, but boys were badly burned. From what I remember, they were using the trangia meths burners, and had to wait for the tent to burn enough for them to get out the back

BikeRunSki · 07/06/2011 12:38

Ironically, Trangias are designed so you can use them outdoors in the rain.

MoreBeta · 07/06/2011 12:44

Really great advice on this thread.

My DSs will soon be doing Duke of Edinburgh and will hammer into them that they must never never use any kind of stove in a tent for cooking or heating.

Not just fire risk but the number of young and even quite experienced campers who die of carbon monoxide poisoning is shocking.

ReshapeWhileDamp · 07/06/2011 21:30

I have to say though, was anyone else really amused by that santimonious cameraman (the youtube film)? He's sat there complacently, watching the tent of the Unwise Campers burn, spouting 'safety first' platitudes to his son, and at one point tells wee Alan off for saying 'Oh no!' because you should never say that unless you've got reason to. Hmm It's all very careful parenting but god, I wanted to twat him one. Grin

anniebear · 07/06/2011 22:37

aful and frightening but..... that conversation between Dad and Alan ...how funny!! "Dad will they have to quit their holiday now" "yes Alan"

How many times does he say Alan lol

"it could become a missile Dad" lol Most exciting thing Alan has ever seen!!!!

anniebear · 07/06/2011 22:42

ReshapeWhileDamp, that was very funny, I laughed lots at Alan and Dad !

somebody else put "why did they call their child Alan ?" lol

Slubberdegullion · 07/06/2011 23:18

Alan and His Dad (and the Geordie bloke) is probably my most favourite you tube video ever. After the first watch when obviously you are horrified at all the smoke and the bottles exploding then you can sit back and let the pure pleasure of the dad/son convo wash over you.

It gets better at each watch.

Alan is of course the fire starter if you haven't twigged yet.

TheEndlessArete · 09/06/2011 19:55

Have just read this thread with horror ! we cook in the canopy of our tent. IS that really stupid ?
Would a fire blanket be a good thing to take ? how does it work - do you just throw it over ?!

bilblio · 09/06/2011 20:21

Cooking under the canopy is certainly not advisable, although we have done it in the rain. We don't have a canopy anymore, but having seen this video though I'll be making sure DH cooks much further away from the tent.

Yes you just throw a fire blanket over any flames. It suffocates the fire. They're very easy to use, but you have to make sure they're handy, same with a fire extinguisher. It needs to be next to where you're cooking, not in the car somewhere.

Slubberdegullion · 09/06/2011 20:56

TEA, I wouldn't cook under the canopy.

The risk, albeit small, is too high for me.

Utility tent, tarp, umbrella. All of these you can cook under and if they burn it's not going to cost £££ to replace or be the end of the holiday.

SeaShellsHasSandInHerShoes · 13/06/2011 22:09

Bumping, as this thread still haunts me. There was a caravan fire locally to that was fatal recently :(

Guildenstern · 16/06/2011 19:37

I keep telling my parents not to cook inside their tent, but they won't listen.

Does anyone have any good official links I can send them?

(Also a family I know who do it with tiny children in zipped-up compartments).

It terrifies me but some people won't be told.

Changebagsandgladrags · 16/06/2011 22:45

Just back from Keycamp. The...er...hob/grill is in the tent, you can't move it. Hmmm.

Pixel · 17/06/2011 15:36

I was drooling nosing round a big camping shop the other day and they had some trailer tents. They all have the cookers in the tent part because the kitchen is the back end of the trailer. I must admit I've never heard of this being a problem and I know they've had that design for years because we went camping with some neighbours who had one, must have been 35 years ago. Is it somehow different from cooking in a tent canopy? Is it because it is canvas instead of nylon?

Guildenstern · 18/06/2011 07:28

Yes, I believe canvas is a slow steady burn, as opposed to nylon.

Pixel · 18/06/2011 15:50

Thanks, I thought it must be that.

Now another question! You know the cooker stands you buy with the canvas cupboard underneath? Are they designed for use outdoors or would everything in the cupboard get soggy? The one I've just bought this week is definitely meant to have a cooker on it as it came with a windshield but I've only seen people using them inside the tent.