C O N T E X T 1 1 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 0 23 PAUL TURNBULL Preventing fires in thatched roofs Techniques have been developed to reduce the risk of ignition and the potential damage caused by thatch fires, and to fight any outbreak. Thatch roof fires occur less frequently than other property fires. One of the reasons for this is that those who have been brought up in a thatched property are intimately aware of the dangers of fire, and tend to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their home. However, when a thatched roof does become involved in fire, it has a significant impact on the home owner, the community and the emergency services. It is not unusual for the local fire and rescue service to commit upwards of 10 pumping appliances and five specialist appliances to deal with such an incident, resulting in costs in the region of £45,000 per incident. The National Society of Master Thatchers estimates that the average total rebuild costs to be around £200,000. An understanding of the science behind many thatch fires is due to government-backed research carried out in the early 1990s. It was performed by a team of scientists including Marjorie Sanders, Roger Angold and Penny Morgan. The insulating properties of thatch at the interface with the chimney brickwork were found to play a sinister part in fire development where solid fuel appliances were installed. Historically, chimneys were of single-brick construction, designed to cater for open fireplaces where flue gas temperatures were reduced by the entrainment of air from the room. The introduction of solid fuel burners led to enclosed flues and increased temperatures within the chimney. Temperatures were often double those previously experienced. Fire fighters tackle the early stages of a thatched roof fire. Fire spreading to the entire roof
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