As a kid every site we visited was lined with red buckets by each unit..
Few years back I used ours to knock down a campsite skip fire... Having been religiously filling it for 15 years plus..
Even as a young 20 year old with a couple of mates.. we got "watched" by a site manager "we don't usually let all male groups on site "(all 3 of us) he came over as we set up ohh fire bucket and extinguisher... Seemed to break the ice 30 mins later sat with us beer in hand his wife appeared not happy he hadn't returned for his dinner!
Used to be in the CCC and other club rules and remember dad getting ripped £10 when we started out (dad still begrudges the price 20 years or so on! ) he didn't have a red bucket and camp rules said you must have one...
Now you very rarely see them
Yes they can't be used on electrical fires (unplug the blue plug on the pole first) or grease fires (use water in bucket to wet a towel)
But water is free... Put out someone's burning tent / van with a extinguisher or 2 they will be really greatful until you mention the cost of a new extinguisher or they discover how far and where powder gets and get the arse on....
A red bucket costs a couple of quid! Vs £10+ for a small extinguisher..
Oh and it's handy if you get burned or need to chill s few beers , dogs will drink from it and toddlers will splash !
In 40 plus year never had a fire bucket. Only time I have seen one used is for ducks to drink out of. Why would you it's not big enough for use on a van fire but you wouldn't use it anyway if the van was on an ehu.
Never used a fire bucket. We do have a water mist extinguisher. The best advice from the fire brigade is if a caravan catches on fire is to get as far away as possible as soon as possible assuming the caravan is vacant.
Many years ago I saw a tent go up in flames on a site near Scarborough, the flames got hold so quick I doubt one bucket of water would have been sufficient to avoid what was for one family a devastating incident. I do have one though and occasionally use it to keep my beers cool.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 19/7/2019
Never used a fire bucket. We do have a water mist extinguisher. The best advice from the fire brigade is if a caravan catches on fire is to get as far away as possible as soon as possible assuming the caravan is vacant.
The good old fire service "elf and safety wombles" we had a visit from the fire service home safety team following a chip Pan fire (electric one) at home well the Mrs grabbed the fire blanket and put it out in seconds) we got chastised for dealing with it... As we are not "trained" .. to which the Mrs revealed that she was a trained chef and I was a fire marshal .... "Well you really should leave it to the fire service" ... Through no fault of there's it took them 10 mins to get to our home .....
Hmmm a flicker of flame dealt with approximately in a few seconds can save lives prevent spread and prevent injury to fire crews ... (I've seen a 4 kg calor type cylinder go bang ..)
One bucket of water isn't much but back years ago every unit having one by thi hitch 10l per bucket by each unit on a 30 pitch site = 300l of water at instant disposal..
If not to fight the fire but damp down nearby units to stop the fire spread..
I camp mostly at dog agility shows and it’s usually a requirement that we have a fire bucket outside. I do always look and think how ineffective it would probably be against a fire but it gives the dogs a large drinking bowl
------------- Good cakes aren't cheap. Cheap cakes aren't good
Isn't it a legal requirement now that campsites have fire points at strategic locations throughout the sites? Certainly most of the campsites I have been on have fire points. I have not taken too much notice of them but they seem to have fire extinguishers, buckets of water or sand, and poles with leather pads for tamping down burning grass etc.
A few years go, we also witnessed a tent fire- changed our thinking. After the nearby campers had put the initial fire out, a policeman took charge and told us all to get any firefighting equipment and buckets of water incase the fire reignited or the fire spread on the grass. I didn't have a clue- was completely stunned by the whole thing.
So now we have: a fire blanket, a fire extinguisher and a water filled fire bucket. When I arrive at a site I also take notice of where any firefighting equipment is- the nearest to my tent at the very least. I hope that if it ever happened again I hope I would be of more use.
A tent won't be saved, BUT a bucket of water could help someone who has been burned (as well as a blanket) can these are low cost and don't need to be replaced, unlike other extinguishers. And I agree with the PP that the more buckets available straight away could make a vital difference to the surrounding tents, cars and vans. 20 buckets ready buys time.
So yes, we're often laughed at a little with our red fire bucket outside, but you might be the camper that was glad I took 2 minutes to fill it.