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

[sassyTHEFIRST]

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...

I've got one of those type of stands, and I've drunkenly forgotten it left it standing outside overnight/in the rain before now. It's been fine as long as I've zipped it up so the cardboard shelves don't get soggy. Everything inside (including an open packet of teabags) was fine and dry.

I do normally tend to take it indoors when I'm packing up for the night, but I have the luxury of space to do that and I can see that some people mightn't have.

Thanks Lovecat, that's good to know. We usually cook outside but this half term was the first time we'd used a canopy for our tent and dh insisted on cooking inside it as the weather was bad. I wasn't entirely happy about it so I think I'm going to have to insist next time, athough that will probably result in him sulking me being the one out in the rain!