Thatched home owners urged to protect themselves against fires
West Sussex Fire and Rescue have released a list of top tips to prevent thatched roof fires
Owners of thatched properties in West Sussex are being urged to protect themselves against the risk of fire by following simple guidance.
It comes after West Sussex Fire & Rescue were called out to a significant fire in Middleton earlier this year, the second of its kind involving thatched properties in the last few months.
Station Manager Simon Foster, one of the service’s Fire Investigation Officers, said: “Both of the recent thatch fires we attended began accidentally and were absolutely devastating for the owners involved.
“Thatch roofs are designed to repel water which makes tackling this type of incident very difficult once a fire breaks out.
“Living in a thatched property means you do need to consider your fire safety and follow this advice to mitigate against the risk of a fire breaking out.
“Prevention is essential, detection is nearly always too late.”
The top tips issued by the fire service include:
- Installing smoke alarms throughout the home and an interlinked smoke alarm for the loft space.
- Considering a system of heat sensors within the thatch and around the chimney for early warning if thatch is overheating.
- Insulating the chimney flue to prevent heat from transferring to the thatch layer.
- Fitting a ‘bird guard’ to the chimney to deter birds from building nests.
- Having the electrical system throughout your home checked by a qualified electrician to ensure cables are installed correctly.
- Ensuring any naked flames are extinguished before going to bed.
- Only burning dry, seasoned, hard wood.
- Not having bonfires, setting of fireworks or lighting sky lanterns near your property.
Fire services up and down the country will be supporting Chimney Fire Safety Week next week.