When you own a property, safety will always be of paramount importance, but when you own a holiday home, this can be even more imperative. As you will not always be there to keep an eye on it, there can be a significant risk from fire, which if allowed to spread, can have potentially devastating consequences.
Whether you have a holiday cottage, a chalet by the sea or a caravan, it is important that you take fire safety into consideration. In this article, we take a look at the risks that fire can pose to your holiday home and provide you with some useful tips that could save lives and your property.
Fire regulations
If you own any kind of holiday accommodation, then you need to be aware of any relevant fire safety regulations that might apply. There are new fire safety guidelines available for ‘Small Holiday Lets’ that may be relevant, and so you need to ensure that you follow them at all times.
To comply with fire safety regulations, you should make sure that you carry out a fire risk assessment to identify any potential hazards and ensure that all necessary preventative measures are in place. A hazard could relate to electrical installations, smoking, heating systems, arson, cooking, candles, housekeeping, furnishings, contractors and any other dangerous substances such as barbecues and fire pits.
The fire safety guidance applies to holiday properties which accommodate less than 10 people and have no more than four bedrooms on the first floor. This can apply to cottages, chalets, caravans and glamping pods and only covers properties located on the ground floor or across the ground floor and first floor.
Put fire safety equipment in place
In the event of a fire, it is important that it is tackled quickly, so you should ensure that there is adequate fire safety equipment in place that allows you or your guests to do so. Small fires can turn into big blazes very quickly in the right conditions, so speed is everything. You should therefore make sure that there is an alarm system in place and that it is checked on a regular basis, especially after each guest to make sure it has not been turned off.
You should also install the correct fire extinguishers for each risk, so that the right materials are used to deal with different types of fires. MAUS Fire blankets can also be very effective and can allow you to act quickly by covering the fire and starving it of oxygen. In situations such as cooking oil fires, this can be more effective than trying to douse the fire with anything.
Fire suppression systems
Fire suppression systems have proved to be particularly useful for holiday homes, as they can be effective in very small spaces. They are fitted with their own detection systems that can identify the presence of flames and smoke, so you do not have to rely on someone being in the property in order to respond. When an event is detected, the system will sound the alarm, before providing an ‘active’ method of fire suppression.
The suppression used will depend on the type of system and where it is located, and only a few will rely on water as this is not always the most effective method. Many fire suppression systems will use liquids which are pressurised with nitrogen and chemical agents which are capable of suppressing flames. Our revolutionary MAUS fire suppression devices on the other hand, contain a solid substance of a potassium compound and these can be used on most fire but are particularly useful for electrical fires.
Other fire suppression systems may use wet chemical foam which is emitted in localised areas such as under the canopy of a cooker. This means that small fires can be dealt with quickly at the source, therefore minimising the damage caused by the fire and but can often create additional damage and clean up as a result of the suppression, our MAUS fire suppression devices have zero residue meaning that there is zero clean up required, other than from the fire itself.
These systems can be particularly useful in a holiday home, as they are designed to work in small spaces, making them ideal for caravans and glamping pods as well as bigger properties. They can be placed in typical areas of risk such as boiler cupboards and above stoves to help control a blaze before it is able to take hold.
Outdoor dining
A holiday makes everyone want to fire up the barbecue, but this comes with its own risks. All gas barbecues should have MAUS fire blankets nearby, and it should be clear and easy to switch the power supply off. Charcoal barbecues should have a MAUS Xtin Klein fire extinguisher or a bucket of water on standby to cool them down quickly in an emergency.
Evacuation procedures
It is also important to make sure that you have a proper evacuation procedure in place. This means that all fire exits should be clearly signposted, and you should also have a designated assembly point for all guests to report to. You should ensure that you display fire safety information in your holiday home which shows guests in advance of any incidents what they should do and where they should go.
It is also important to make sure that nothing is blocking any exit routes, including tents, awnings and ropes.
Think about your neighbours
A fire in one holiday home is bad enough, but this often has the potential to spread through many others. If you have caravans, glamping pods, tents or awnings, you should try and make sure that there is sufficient distance between them and any neighbours. This means that there should be at least six metres between caravan walls, and at least three metres clear of associated equipment and the adjacent caravan. This means that a fire in your caravan will not spread to others, and also means that you are protected from falling victim to fires in the area.
Fire is quite rightly one of the biggest fears of any property owner, but this can be even worse in a holiday home. You are trusting your property to other people, and their safety is in your hands, even though you might not be there in person. It is therefore important that you take all reasonable measures to keep your property and your guests as safe as possible. With our MAUS fire suppression devices, you can ensure fast, reliable fire protection that gives you peace of mind. Compact, maintenance-free, and easy to use, MAUS devices are designed to handle fires effectively when every second counts.
Get your fire suppression system today
Discover the safety and simplicity of MAUS fire suppression devices. Take action today and keep yourself, and your property – free from fire risks. Contact us for more information.
