Caravan fire safety tips offered after string of arson attacks

by Chris Jefferies and Ash Hekmat
Two caravans have been destroyed following an outbreak of fire at an MOT centre in Greater Manchester – and this is believed to be the result of an arson attack.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the blaze, which engulfed two caravans, a camper van and another van, all of which were being stored on the site in Atherton.
According to the Leigh Reporter, more than £80,000 worth of damage was caused by the flames, which broke out at approximately 8.30pm last Sunday (29 January).
Simon Eskins, who owns the site, told the local paper: “Two expensive caravans, a motor home and a van, which I was storing for people have all gone up.
“There was also damage to a fence, a sign and the toilet and other vehicles nearby were affected by smoke damage.”
All too common
This incident occurred just two over weeks after a similar attack in Scotland, which resulted in two caravans going up in flames in Harestanes, Kirkintilloch.
On the night of Wednesday 11 January, a group of vandals struck at a communal car park on Alloway Drive, and after a local resident alerted the emergency services, ten firefighters were deployed to deal with the ensuing blaze.
These sorry scenarios make headlines all too often, so it’s important to be prepared for this kind of situation.
This includes knowing exactly what you should do in the event of a caravan fire, as the insurance experts at Towergate have recently explained.
Towergate insurance expert, Edward Cross, told CaravanTimes: “The first thing to do is to ring the fire brigade and ensure that the situation is brought under control. Once this is done, then you should ring the insurers as soon as possible.
“Insurers are likely to want a loss adjuster to help deal with the claim and they are likely to arrive on the premises within a couple of days. It’s always helpful for people to take photographs and you may need to produce documentation to prove ownership.”
For more tips from Towergate on how to deal with a caravan fire, read their article: Top safety tips – what to do in the case of a caravan fire