Camping safety - fire safety tips

To ensure your camping goes smoothly, especially if it's your first time in a tent, please be aware of the key fire safety issues:

• Allow at least six metres of space between tents and caravans.

• Never use fuel-burning devices (eg disposable barbecues, camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills) inside a tent. See below for more information about Carbon Monoxide awareness

• If you do use a fuel-burning device:

  • It must be placed on an even surface on either bricks or paving slabs. Do not be tempted to use the box or packaging it comes with as a flat surface.

  • It mustn’t be used near or on public benches.

  • Always turn off the gas supply before changing the cylinder.

  • Change gas cylinders outdoors whenever possible, or in a well-ventilated space. Store them outside, away from direct sunlight and freezing temperatures.

• Never use candles in or near a tent - torches are much safer.

• Flammable liquids and Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders should be kept outside the tent.

• Oil burning appliances are not recommended.

• Cooking appliances should never be used inside small tents.

• Never light a candle or have any other kind of flame burning apparatus in or near to a tent.

• Cook outside and away from the tent.

• Don't smoke inside the tent and keep any flammable material away from the cooking area.

• Have an escape plan.

Be carbon monoxide aware

Never use fuel-burning devices (e.g. disposable barbecues, camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills) inside a tent. Using these indoors can cause Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

They give off fumes for hours and hours after you have used them -  levels high enough to result in CO poisoning.

To avoid hazardous CO exposures, fuel-burning equipment should never be used inside a tent, camper, or other enclosed shelter.

Fuel-burning equipment can include:

• Camping stoves

• camping heaters

• lanterns

• charcoal grills

• disposable barbecues.

Opening tent flaps, doors, or windows is insufficient to prevent build-up of CO concentrations from these devices.

Also, when using fuel-burning devices outdoors, the exhaust should not vent into enclosed shelters.