Fire Safety - Park Homes / Model Standards

[Midland Retty]

Caravan Parks are becoming my staple diet along with flats and HMOs at the moment.

I'm familiar with the content of the Model Standards for Park Homes document and the parts of it
which talk about the Fire Authority enforcing various issues under the RRFSO.

My query is regarding trees. The model standards say that the Fire Authority should enforce upon "Fire Hazards" such as long grass and vegetation found. Does anyone feel this would include trees?

And if so what species / varieties of trees (other than connifers) are readily combustible  ( this may seem like a silly question I know)

or.... Can anyone sign post me to any research into the flammability of trees and large vegetation?


Many thanks as always

[PhilB]

Bacon Trees can be dangerous....no sorry Retty not Bacon Trees I mean't Hambushes!

[Midland Retty]

*sighs*

[PhilB]

Sorry Retty couldn't resist it old boy.

[Midland Retty]

less of the 'old' thank you ...


Anymore thoughts or comments on this from anyone?

[kurnal]

Is this a wind up Midland? It'll be Towering Allotments next.

Dead trees burn like the clappers of course as does dried out dead vegetation. But they make buildings out of dead trees so it cant be that bad. Healthy living green trees take some igniting. Ask any boy scout.

[Midland Retty]

No Uncle Kurnal I assure you its not a wind up

But i do like the idea of "Towering Allotments"... with say Percy Thrower or Alan Titchmarsh as the hero of the story desperately trying to save some prize trunips or melons from the fearsome blaze or maybe a hibernating hedgehog...

No the reason i enquired is that whilst we all know that connifers can go like the clappers are there any other types of trees which are as readily ignitable.

For example there is a type of palm tree very close to a mobile park home and the council are concerned it could be easily ignited and thus threaten the park home. It then threw up arguments about other types of trees which have taken up every nook and cranny of the park site.

I said it would take a huge ignition source to start trees to burn (bark normally chars and protects fresh wood underneath) but you know what its like I just need facts and figures to back up my statement. I doubt there are any but I thought I'd ask.

I feel a bit silly now!

[kurnal]

No dont feel silly Midland. Its only right to use the forum cos its probably the best source of both useful and useless information.  I am sure Dr Wiz will find you a room at his home for the bewildered.

Now for dried out conifers- have you seen the NIST video of the christmas tree- ignition to room flashover in 30 seconds or thereabouts?

[wee brian]

conifers are a bit lively when they have dried out a bit. This isnt very scientific though.

[Mike Buckley]

No real evidence but look at the leaves. Waxy leaves tend to burn better than the more flesh type. Watch out for gorse and moorland types of plants they tend to have a life cycle that allows for fires to burn off their outer leaves and then grow back.

Softwoods such as pine etc. tend to exude resin which also burns quite well. Hardwoods tend to be fairly difficult to ignite but they drop all their dead leaves once a year.

You can't win!

[Midland Retty]

Thanks folks

Im reliably informed that as a general rule "evergreen" trees are more readily combustible than trees which shed their leaves in autumn!

[afterburner]

try Forest Enterprise (I think that's the new name for the Forestry Commission). They certainly did trials on the fire propagation in standing trees and examined fire retarding foam sprays for feorect fire fighting. Their research might have revealing insights into the topic.

[nearlythere]

MR. I think a risk assessment would determine that a single or few trees would not be considered "Significant". Trees by their thousands can be during the dry season but, unless hit by lightning, solitary trees don't usually go on fire. Trees can significantly contribute to a fire because of their fuel potential eg. in the case of a forest fire, but as to being considered a fire risk, in your situation? I doubt it.
I can't realy see any FSO wanting trees in a Caravan Park cleared away because they could a fire risk. Unless, that is, somebody knows different.

[Clevelandfire]

MR. I think a risk assessment would determine that a single or few trees would not be considered "Significant". Trees by their thousands can be during the dry season but, unless hit by lightning, solitary trees don't usually go on fire. Trees can significantly contribute to a fire because of their fuel potential eg. in the case of a forest fire, but as to being considered a fire risk, in your situation? I doubt it.
I can't realy see any FSO wanting trees in a Caravan Park cleared away because they could a fire risk. Unless, that is, somebody knows different.

I'd be concerned by the siting of connifers near caravans. You should appreciate their potential for fire spread and the heat they can give off. if you don't you aren't qualified to do risk assessment. The caravans themselves can be lost to fire very quickly so I do see the need for FSO to be vigilant in this respect. 4 years ago my crew lost a park home for that very reason during a hot summer. It just went up so quickly nothing we could do.Tinder dry grass had caught fire and spread to a bank of connifers and gorse and quickly jumped to a caravan. Resdients had erected fencing between caravans and that soon went up to. A lot of residents had got of LPG gas bullits installed. So yes I do think trees are a concern in terms of their contibution to fire spread. But it does depend on the type of tree and what else is around the park.

[nearlythere]

OK, whatever you think Cleveland. Thought it might be a bit difficult to site comnifers near caravans. Hell of a lot of digging.
Question was about Fire Hazard and not Fire Spread. I did allude to Fire Spread, I think? Different things ain't they?