Preventing a Thatch Fire

As anyone with a bit of thatch knowledge will know that thatch is designed to shed water, which is what makes it a great roofing material, however, this makes it extremely difficult to extinguish if it ever caught fire.

Thatch Fire Safety is highly important

In the past the main concern when it comes to thatched properties and thatch fires was the heat transfer from chimney bricks to the thatch, however, with better an understanding of thatched fires there are now better insulation methods of preventing a Thatch roof fire.

Causes of a Thatch Fire

There are still many different causes of thatched fires, and different ways to ensure these don’t cause a fire.

Chimneys & Indoor Fires

Having any indoor fire burner and chimney needs to comply with regulations.

Wood – Use seasoned wood instead of unseasoned wood and ensure that is has been stored correctly.

Paper & Card – You must take care when lighting a fire, do not use paper or card as it increases the number of loose scraps. This also means don’t throw any old rubbish in the fire.

Watch it – Never leave a fire unattended – not rocket science.

Chimney Cleaning – Ensure your chimney is swept regularly to avoid any clog up of soot and dust. Having a blocked chimney when you light your next fire will cause many problems including dangerous emissions coming back into your home instead of through the flue system. Give you chimney regular inspections to ensure your flue lining is in working order.

Temperature – There are many different heat alarms that can be installed to ensure your chimney doesn’t reach dangerous temperatures.

Alarms – Another handy alarm that should be fitted in every home is a smoke detector and a CO2 detector.