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quoteTime to update your caravan or motorhome fire extinguisher?
AFFF (i.e. foam) extinguishers are being phased out – from July 2025 they will no longer be sold in the UK because some of the chemicals they contain are harmful to the environment.
Fire side chat
As a general guide, foam extinguishers have long been considered more suited to caravans and motorhomes than powder versions – the latter can get very messy and restrict vision as well as having an adverse effect on your respiratory and/or digestive systems, when used in a confined space, for example.
There’s plenty of other essential caravan and motorhome fire safety gear you should have on board, too. Read on…
Top caravan and motorhome fire safety gear tips
- General advice is to exit the motorhome or caravan immediately in the event of a fire – not fight a fire – and to make sure escape routes and exit points are clear from obstruction. Get out, stay out, and call 999.
- Make sure you have a smoke alarm fitted to your leisure vehicle and test it at the start of every trip. Working smoke detectors could save your life
- Where you mount your fire safety equipment is critical. Of course, it needs to be easily accessible, but also away from any potential places where a fire could break out. Fire extinguishers are usually mounted by the main door and a fire blanket next to the cooker
- Get the right size/capacity of fire safety equipment to suit your vehicle
- Make sure your fire extinguisher is checked regularly (see manufacturer instructions). A typical extinguisher will need replacing every three to five years
- An annual habitation check, as recommended for all motorhomes and caravans, includes testing the performance and suitability of all fire extinguishers and blankets, plus smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Read the instructions so that you, and your fellow occupants, know how to use all on-board caravan and motorhome fire safety gear
- Check when any product says it’s suitable for caravans. It may be referring to caravan holiday homes rather than touring caravans
- Do your own fire risk assessment, taking into account any batteries on board. In the event of a battery fire, it’s crucial to evacuate immediately and call 999. Battery fires can be severe due to the risk of explosion and the release of toxic fumes. Attempting to tackle a battery fire yourself can be extremely dangerous. Always prioritise your safety and let the professionals handle the situation.
- Your local fire service can also be a good source of help regarding safety advice
- Complement all your caravan and motorhome fire safety products with a good quality first aid kit, with all contents up to date.
- Don’t forget, call 999 if a fire breaks out so the emergency services can deal with it and support anyone injured.
- The extinguishers featured in this article are only designed to tackle small fires before they spread
Classifying fire
It’s worth knowing fires are classified as follows:
- A involves organic solids eg paper, wood.
- B for flammable liquids ranging from petrol and oil to tar, paint, wax, and solvents.
- C covers gases including propane and butane.
- D is for fires involving combustible metals like magnesium, lithium, and sodium.
- E is sometimes used to denote electrical fires, although this is not an official class. That’s because they can also include any or all of the other groups and electricity itself does not burn.
- F covers cooking oils, fats, and grease.
Star Player #1
Star Player 1
Fire Safety Stick FSS50
Taking up a lot less space (and weight) compared to a conventional fire extinguisher, this is potentially more effective, too.
It works differently to other extinguishers. The Fire Safety stick is not pressurised and contains a solid resin. Upon activation, a chemical reaction breaks down the resin to inert nitrogen gas which acts like an aerosol to power out the active agent, potassium ions. These ions chemically react with the oxygen around the flames to extinguish the fire but, crucially don’t affect the oxygen to the user.
The activated fire safety stick can also be left to repress a fire within a confined space, while you close the door and vacate your leisure vehicle.
The FFS50 here is recommended for smaller leisure vehicles. The £104 FFS100 is for larger units. Unlike conventional fire extinguishers, these do not need regular professional servicing. Also, these discharge over some 50 seconds, compared to the six to seven seconds of traditional extinguishers, giving more opportunity to put out a fire, also leaving no mess or residue.
Key features Tackles all major fire classes, 50-second discharge time, weighs 215g, dimensions 27cm x 3cm diameter, recyclable, 15-year shelf life, mounting clip included
Expect to pay £74.50
Star Player #2
UltraFire 1ltr+ Water Mist
Water mist extinguishers like this are arguably the future as far as leisure vehicles are concerned (and foam-based models are phased out). They use proven technology to disperse a mist that smothers the fire and prevents it from getting any access to oxygen.
They’re also environmentally friendly thanks to contents being water only (i.e. no potentially harmful chemicals). This is de-ionised, which prevents electricity from going through it.
Other benefits of water misting technology are high heat absorption and fast cooling, with no messy residues to clean up post-use.
UltraFire says this extinguisher is suitable on Class A, B, C and F fires in motorhomes and touring caravans, as well as being safe with fires involving electricity up to 1,000Volts.
Capacity is 1.4 litres. It weighs in at 3.14kg, discharge time is 12.5 seconds with a range of 1.5m.
Key features Low pressure discharge, fixing bracket included, five-year warranty
Expect to pay £57
Star Player #3
Firexo 2 Litre Fire Extinguisher
Very much an all-rounder, this is designed to extinguish all types of fire (see the listing above) – including anywhere lithium-ion batteries are involved – and claims to be for use in any type of vehicle. It uses a bespoke solution that’s non-toxic and biodegradable and highly concentrated – so you don’t need much to put out the fire.
It’s also quicker than traditional products. Dimensions are 405mm high with a diameter of 340mm and it weighs 3.84kg. Typical discharge time is 20-30 seconds.
Key features Steel body, fixing bracket included, five-year warranty, other sizes available
Expect to pay £54.99
Star Player #4
Firechief Fire Blanket SVB1/K40
A 1m x 1m fire blanket that’s an ideal accompaniment to an extinguisher. It comes with its own soft case and should be located next to, but not directly above (for obvious reasons) the hob.
Opening is straightforward – Velcro holds the blanket in situ until needed – while the K40 in the product name refer to its woven glass fibre cloth.
It’s designed for single-use only.
Key features Other sizes available, packed dimensions 51cm x 30cm, five-year guarantee
Expect to pay £11.99
Star Player #5
Firechief Premium Fire Blanket
A follow-on from the standard product above, that you might want to consider. Firechief’s Premium rating for this blanket signifies it can cope with fires involving lithium batteries, as used in mobile phones, lap-tops etc – these will burn hotter than a normal fire and a standard blanket will not be able to cope.
This is designed to cope with fires generating temperatures of up to 1,300degC as well as reducing chemical risks and the spread of toxic fumes. Blanket size is 1.55m x 1.55m.
Key features Other sizes available, packed dimensions 29cm x 18cm x 5cm, weight 1.44kg, one-year guarantee
Expect to pay £155
Star Player #6
FireAngel ST-622 Smoke Alarm
From a long-term manufacturer of such devices, this is supplied with a battery designed to last 10 years – you’ll get a warning “chirp” to tell you when the whole product has come to the end of its life cycle (it indicates a week to renew). That’s not to say you shouldn’t test it manually on a regular basis.
FireAngel says its use of Thermoptek technology – optical sensing with thermal enhancement – means the fastest response when it senses a fire. It also has Smart Silence, whereby the alarm can be silenced for up to 10 minutes if you know it’s a false alarm (toast burning, for example). It’s also easy to install.
Key features Ten-year non-replaceable lithium battery, large central test button, tamper-proof, dimensions 130mm x 34mm, weight 155g, ten-year warranty
Expect to pay £26.99
Star Player #7
Kidde K7C0 Carbon Monoxide Alarm
A carbon monoxide alarm goes hand in hand with a smoke detector, but do look out for products manufactured specifically for caravans and/or motorhomes, like this battery-operated product from Kidde – another long-term player in the leisure vehicle sector.
The KC70 is also time-weighted, meaning it will alert you sooner to higher levels of CO. It will operate in the -10degC-40degC temperature range and up to 90% relative humidity.
It’s supplied with a mounting kit to fit to either the ceiling, floor or wall. General advice is to fit such items near cooking or heating appliances but not directly over them.
Key features 85dB alarm, test/reset button, multi-function LEDs, continuous monitoring of CO levels, supplied with two AA batteries, dimensions 116mm x 72mm x 40mm, weight 120g, 10-year warranty
Expect to pay £27.53
Star Player #8
Anaf 1kg Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher
For use tackling fires that fall into the A, B and C categories. Weight is kept down thanks to its aluminium main body.
Do note many suppliers recommend extinguishers like this for external use only. That does mean they can come in handy if you like cooking outdoors, for example.
Key features Aluminium cylinder, weighs 2.14kg, dimensions 30cm high x 10cm diameter, supplied with bracket
Expect to pay £20.44
www.anaf.eu and www.caravan-components.co.uk
Star Player #9
Kampa Fire Bucket
Red bucket? You don’t see them so much these days… but they can have a use when filled with water and placed outside your pitched caravan or motorhome. Not only can they be used to dose certain flames, they also act as a handy indicator that the unit’s occupants may well be willing to volunteer if any kind of fire breaks out in their vicinity.
Key features 15-litre bucket, removable lid, carry handle
Expect to pay £12
Over to you…
Got any information or advice on caravan and motorhome fire safety gear that you’d like to pass on to fellow leisure vehicle owners? Please feel free to add a comment below.
Exactly Paul! We had an extinguisher which ran out of date, so useless. Best to catch the fire early and use a wet towel, although we have bought a stick-type which only cost about £20. No mention in the article of not using water on electrical fires.
Great job in raising awareness about fire safety
Fire Safety Stick FSS50: I cannot comment on the effectiveness of this device but I would dispute that Nitrogen is heavier than air. It is marginally lighter but in a fire condition it would readily mix with air. It is true that a nitrogen enriched atmosphere would restrict or even extinguish combustion.
Thanks for your comments. The information about the fire safety stick has been updated.
We lost out tow car and motor home due to fire and to be honest no domestic fire extinguisher is going to stop a fire once it gets hold, let the professional fire service deal with it and be safe, full tank of fuel and gas bottles if ignited will blow the vehicle apart , I would recommend having a bag with coat and meds close to hand and easy access to mobile phone. The fumes alone are toxic and can kill
Really useful thank you! I have an 8 year old powder extinguisher. I’m about to order some of the products recommended!
Very informative in raising safety awareness.
Very useful information which I did not think about. We will be buying them now.
Excellent article, very informative. Thank you