Fire Safety

A Camp Fire is a defining feature of most camping trips, and camp cooking provides its own excitement (and challenges). In order for us to allow campfires and provide gas appliances and candle lanterns we require all campers to be responsible in managing flames and fires.


Please read the following carefully.


In the Tent

A fire will take hold very very quickly in a tent so great care should be taken at all times. The canvas Safari Tents are treated with flame retardant, but other tents made of polyester or nylon based fabrics may not be.


Please be safe – follow the rules:


  • Keep gas and kerosene appliances well away from any tent material
  • Use candles only in a candle lantern placed on a stable surface, well away from any tent material.
  • Never leave lit candle lanterns, gas or kerosene appliances unattended.


Leaving Camp or going to bed

Always turn off the gas and kerosene appliances, and extinguish any candle lanterns, when going to bed or leaving the tent

  • Put the fire out, & extinguish all glowing embers
  • Check again after 5-10 minutes that nothing has re-ignited


Open Fires

  • Open fires may only be lit in Firebowls


Please be safe – follow the rules:


  • Site the fire well away from any tent
  • Site the fire down-wind of any tent
  • Do Not light a fire if it is windy
  • Damp down if flames grow high – use a cup or 2 of water
  • Damp down if sparks begin to fly – use a cup or 2 of water
  • Put out all sparks reaching the ground – stamp on them immediately wearing shoes or douse with water
  • Put the fire out if the wind gets up – take the spare water canister from under the sink in the Thunderbox and pour over any burning wood.


Please remember: The firebowl stays hot long after the fire is out


We rely on you to be responsible so we may continue allowing camp fires.


Emergency

If an emergency occurs:


  • Ensure that all members of your party make themselves safe. Never put yourself in danger.
  • Phone immediately 07837 721803 / 01450 870092 (Campsite manager) or 07751 757487 / 01450 870213 (Campsite proprietor).


We provide equipment for immediate response to an emergency, if you judge it possible and safe to take action without endangering yourself or members of your party.


HILL PITCHES:

  • Each hill pitch has a paddle fire beater – if by some chance stamping out a spark on the ground doesn’t work and a flame takes hold, take the paddle beater and beat out the flame with rapid and continuous strokes
  • Water in the 2 containers below the Thunderbox sinks on the hill pitches should be used simultaneously by pouring it onto the flames.
  • Fire blankets postioned near the cooker and hobs should be used to smother any pan fires


WALLED GARDEN:


In the Walled Garden we provide extinguishers, sand buckets and an alarm bell for immediate response and to alert nearby campers.

Thunderbox Composting Toilets

This technology has made it possible to offer the Really Wild pitches and the Woodland Pitches in our Woods and on the Hill! We really did not want to be using the sorts of toxic chemicals that normally go into portable and mobile loos, with their disposal issues and “un-green” manufacture.


Thunderboxes are moveable composting toilets that naturally break down our daily waste (provided no non-biodegradable items like nappies, pads etc are put into them) into a dry earthy material. After 18-24 months this is ready to be mixed into our existing 3-bay composting system that prepares our grass cuttings, stable straw etc for use in gardens.


The Thunderbox system requires that a minimum of liquids are put into the composting chamber, so they are designed to separate the urine from the rest. RULES have to be followed to make the system work. These are posted in each cubicle. They are few and simple.


  • Sit Down – EVERYONE – properly (so liquids separate out) - ALWAYS
  • Put a small handful of sawdust down on completion - ALWAYS
  • Shut the Lid afterwards – BOYS and MEN too - ALWAYS
  • Put NO NON-BIODEGRADABLES into the composting chamber - NEVER


Composting toilets are made by the Thunderbox Collective, Tiverton, Devon, 07949 106332 thunderboxes2go@hotmail.co.uk


Willow Bed Treatment & Bio Digestion

At the main campsite, sewage is treated in a bio-digestion plant housed underground to produce a clear and safe treated overflow. This is further processed through 1700 square metres of willow bed where the overflow liquids are disposed of through absorption by the willow trees, evaporation and ground percolation. This ensures that no treated or untreated waste reaches any local water course.



The willows will be harvested for wood fuel when appropriate and coppiced or replanted.

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