Anyone's guess, Roger, but I wouldn't mind betting that the Fire Brigade put the steadies down after the event to add some stability to the thing. The tyres would certainly be long gone I think it fair to say although what surprises me is that the bottles are still intact. Um.

It could be something as simple as travelling with the fridge on, being operated on gas? The gas bottles would have been one of the first things the Fire people ask about or locate and then cooled with water, saving the caravan would be a last resort! It's about containg the safety of others not sometthing you can buy again!

A long time ago I was on the scene of a very serious fire where a guy I knew lost his life, he was'nt a friend as such, just someone I nodded to or spoke to occasionally. He fell asleep whilst smoking, he was drunk, 2 guys I knew dragged him out of his house, and the Fire Brigade asked if anyone knew him? I replied yes and they asked if I would speak to him, they had him covered in muslin cloth, spraying him with a shower head fitment, and he spoke to me coherently, he had 90% burns! He was taken to a local hospital with a special burns section, he passed away some 4 days later.

A caravan can be replaced, a human life can't

It looks as if the gas locker cover is lying, unmelted across the hitch which bears out what Agger suggests. The fire crew might have ripped the cover off to get access to spray the gas bottles.

The gas bottles shouldn't burst in a fire. If you look at the valve on the top, there is a projection opposite to the outlet that is a pressure relief valve.
What happens is as the pressure rises due to the heat, the valve vents the overpressure, and you get a squirt of gas feeding the fire.

The Fire Brigade will cool the bottle to try to stop this happening.
(If a burst was likely, Elf 'n Safety would have them running away and fighting the fire from a very long distance behind a cordon).

Quote: facade wrote in post #5

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What happens is as the pressure rises due to the heat, the valve vents the overpressure, and you get a squirt of gas feeding the fire.

With the gas bottle(s) in the upright position - yes.


The Fire Brigade will cool the bottle to try to stop this happening.

Yes, the success of which is very much dependent upon the ratio of gas to liquid in the bottle and the impingement point of the heat/flames.


If a burst was likely, Elf 'n Safety would have them running away and fighting the fire from a very long distance behind a cordon.

They would indeed and whilst attending a particularly hazardous incident involving several hundred lpg tanks at a well known UK plant back in the early 80's I think it was, we were obliged to set up water canon and take cover behind buildings a considerable distance away. We also had to close a major Motorway along with close by 'A' and 'B' roads due to tanks exploding and flying through the air several hundred metres. The incident was also the driving force behind the implementation of Major Accident Plans and Policies.

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The caravan is in layby with the legs down, the car was not attached as the jockey wheel is down and the towing plug is in its holder, The van was also carefully parked just forward of the pavement obstructions so that the van door can be opened
I am with Roger I think they stopped in the layby for a rest and they unhitched the car and it was a fire caused whilst stationary, possibly cooking

Am I right in thinking it's abroad? Looks to me like it is

Quote: Agger wrote in post #8

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Am I right in thinking it's abroad? Looks to me like it is

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I recognised the gas bottles first, then the proper psycho path