Fire

[bridgit]

On saturday night a couple on a dutch barge in our marina put the chip pan on and fell asleep. They woke to thick acrid smoke and couldn,t get out. There escape route to the wheel house was blocked and the only other exit was a houdine hatch which they had great difficulty in opening. Their shouts were heard and the fire brigade called. The man got out and pulled his wife through the hatch, both alive, thank God, Please be careful with chip pans.

[John Orentas]

On saturday night a couple on a dutch barge in our marina put the chip pan on and fell asleep. They woke to thick acrid smoke and couldn,t get out. There escape route to the wheel house was blocked and the only other exit was a houdine hatch which they had great difficulty in opening. Their shouts were heard and the fire brigade called. The man got out and pulled his wife through the hatch, both alive, thank God, Please be careful with chip pans.

 

 

Equally important and more obvious, make sure you can get out of your boat in a hurry when you need to.. I have known people who lock themselves into the boat at night, 'because they are scarred of burglars'.. Idiots!

Edited November 26, 2007 by John Orentas

[ChrisPy]

I visited a couple living on a widebeam similar to mine in a marina off the main waterway. They were using it like a houseboat and it has no certification of any sort as far as I could tell beyond the original Annexe 3.

 

The entrance is from the front cockpit. The main bedroom was at the back, with the steps and the door to the aft deck partly obstructed and the door padlocked from the outside. .......................

 

I gave them a copy of my RCD and owner's manual and I hope they take approriate action.

[bridgit]

The barge was built in the 1930 I think, and imported from Holland. There must be simliar older boats out there with only one exit.

[chris w]

On saturday night a couple on a dutch barge in our marina put the chip pan on and fell asleep!!!!!!!.

 

 

It makes one realise that Darwin had it right in his theory of "natural selection".

 

Chris

[carlt]

It makes one realise that Darwin had it right in his theory of "natural selection".

 

Chris

Chip pan, less than 7' headroom, plywood ceiling? If I needed to eat chips that much I'd be stood over the pan with a fire blanket in hand, until dinner was ready.

 

Chip pans in rooms with limited headroom are a pretty silly idea. Going and having a lie down, while it's on the hob is just plain mad.

 

Chip pan Clicky

[GUMPY]

I visited a couple living on a widebeam similar to mine in a marina off the main waterway. They were using it like a houseboat and it has no certification of any sort as far as I could tell beyond the original Annexe 3.

 

The entrance is from the front cockpit. The main bedroom was at the back, with the steps and the door to the aft deck partly obstructed and the door padlocked from the outside. .......................

 

I amazes me just how many stupid boaters there are, that just unlock one entrance, I see it all the time when passing boats just the front or back unlocked and the stove on. If something catches fire you get seconds to get out.

[barge sara]

The barge was built in the 1930 I think, and imported from Holland. There must be simliar older boats out there with only one exit.

 

Very common in older barges. Sara was built in the '20s. Access is only from the stern with the sleeping cabin right forward, on the 'wrong' side of both the solid fuel stove and the galley. She had a BSS certificate so presumably a second means of escape wasn't a requirement.

First thng we did after we bought her was to fit a houdini hatch!

 

John MV Sara.

[saltysplash]

Very common in older barges. Sara was built in the '20s. Access is only from the stern with the sleeping cabin right forward, on the 'wrong' side of both the solid fuel stove and the galley. She had a BSS certificate so presumably a second means of escape wasn't a requirement.

First thng we did after we bought her was to fit a houdini hatch!

 

John MV Sara.

 

 

Our 1920's Hagenark 'Disponibel' had living quarters forward, and both sleeping cabins aft, centre stairs and hatch and 2nd exit via the wheel house

 

Not all classic barges are badly designed for escape. All depends on the initial conversion

[pagan witch]

I take it there wasn't any kind of fire / smoke detector on board either then ?

 

I know that they can be a bit prone to false alarming in the confines of a boat but I'll suffer a thousand 'falses' rather than miss the one 'real'

 

We had a boat moored here some years ago manage to ignite a gas bottle (also caused an explosion after a build up in the cabin). We were all out in less than 1 minute - and we were all in bed asleep at the time it went bang and it wasn't even our boat that went up.

 

Fire kills

[ChrisPy]

Chip pan, less than 7' headroom, plywood ceiling? If I needed to eat chips that much I'd be stood over the pan with a fire blanket in hand, until dinner was ready.

 

Chip pans in rooms with limited headroom are a pretty silly idea. Going and having a lie down, while it's on the hob is just plain mad.

considering the number of house fires caused by chip pans, I'm surprised they are not outlawed altogether, at least by the insurance companies.

statistically in the UK they are probably more dangerous than guns.

[tomsk]

considering the number of house fires caused by chip pans, I'm surprised they are not outlawed altogether, at least by the insurance companies.

statistically in the UK they are probably more dangerous than guns.

 

Or possibly electrics?

[Sir Nibble]

On saturday night a couple on a dutch barge in our marina put the chip pan on and fell asleep.

Bloke who had the flat above mine when I lived in Cape Town did this (pissed). I climbed up the outside of the damned building to get in and put the fire out and give 1st aid to this tosser. Couple of days later he was on my doorstep with the bill from the fire brigade in his hand (uninsured) expecting me to pay it!!

[WJM]

Locked myself in my own boat last week. Back door was padlocked outside, front door was pulled shut. Went to leave by the front and realised the hasp had swung shut on the outside! After five minutes of trying to poke it open with a knife through the gap I gave up and climbed out the side hatch.

[Gary Peacock]

Or possibly electrics?

 

I have to say I have seen some very scary electrics both "professional" and DIY.

[stuart]

Think I'll stick to oven chips.

 

Edited November 26, 2007 by stuart

[turnbuttonboy]

You would be surprised at the number of boats that have covers fitted over rear doors and even side hatches in order to cut down the draughts. Impossible to open any escape other than the front door when in the best of health and the outcome with lungs full of smoke does not need much contemplation. We also know people who have come close to killing themselves by letting a gennie run under the rear cover on a crusier stern NB where the exhaust vented through the rear doors. Had the people with the chip pan fire died would we have seen the same comments as for the unfortunate souls who made such a foolish error at Whitby?

 

 

Just for the record - I was once told that if an adjacent boat to your own caught fire and damaged or wrecked your boat; you are not able to claim as a third party but have to claim off your own insurance - is this true?

 

 

 

Giles

[Jacq]

Most Fire Services around the country offer free home fire saftey checks.This also includes boats if you live on board.

They fit free smoke detectors and give advice on escape routes and general fire saftey issues.

In the West Midlands if they spot that you have a chip pan ,they have a facility to give a free deep fat fryer if you will allow the disposal of your chip pan.This may be country wide.Give your local brigade a ring to see whats available.

[Lady Muck]

I even got rid of the deep fat frier when we got the boat!

[Mr Baites]

ey wi all luv chip s tho dontwi thi ded nise worf a risk

[Lady Muck]

Theres a chippy 5 mins from our mooring, so I get all my chip needs met without the risk of burning my vessel down.

[pagan witch]

statistically in the UK they are probably more dangerous than guns.

 

I'm a fleet registered driving instructor and can tell you that globally more people are killed each year in road traffic incidents than in wars.

 

On a scale closer to home - during the 10 weeks of the Falklands conflict there were 255 British deaths, during the same time period UK road deaths were 600.

[Rob@BSSOffice]

Chip pan, less than 7' headroom, plywood ceiling? If I needed to eat chips that much I'd be stood over the pan with a fire blanket in hand, until dinner was ready.

 

Chip pans in rooms with limited headroom are a pretty silly idea. Going and having a lie down, while it's on the hob is just plain mad.

 

Chip pan Clicky

 

I was was researching related information on cooking related incidents today because of other incidents this year. Here's the tips from the Firekills website

3. Keep the exits from your home clear so that people can escape if there's a fire. Make sure that everyone in your home can easily find the keys for doors and windows.

4. Take extra care in the kitchen - accidents while cooking account for over half of fires in homes. Never leave young children alone in the kitchen.

5. Take extra care when cooking with hot oil. Consider buying a deep-fat fryer which is controlled by a thermostat (if you don't already have one).

 

These seem quite relevant. I was researching because of the three fatal fires related to cooking we've recorded in the past three years. Two were from cooking chips and one from grilling a chop.

 

What advice would you give anyone who, after having a jar or two decides the munchies has the better of them and starts cooking, only to fall asleep?

 

A lady had a close shave recently in a boat fire. We understand it may have started with an item of electrical equipment (e.g. television). She was alseep, but was woken by her dog, luckily neither her or her dog were knocked out by the fumes. When the doors to the cabin was opened, it was reported that the fire flashed over.

 

We strongly recommend fitting a smoke alarm. This latest report of the chip pan fire is another exmple of how important it is to get an early warning of problems and escape before fumes knock you over or enough heat builds up for the fire flash over when a door or hatch is opened.

 

Go boating - stay safe

Rob

Edited November 26, 2007 by Rob@BSSOffice

[sueb]

Most Fire Services around the country offer free home fire saftey checks.This also includes boats if you live on board.

They fit free smoke detectors and give advice on escape routes and general fire saftey issues.

In the West Midlands if they spot that you have a chip pan ,they have a facility to give a free deep fat fryer if you will allow the disposal of your chip pan.This may be country wide.Give your local brigade a ring to see whats available.

 

Only if you are resident in the area, not if you are just passing through.

[carlt]

Only if you are resident in the area, not if you are just passing through.

If you speak to your local fire brigade they would probably look favourably on anyone responsible enough to contact them.

Speak nice to people, sue, and they're often nice back.