How Fast will Thatch Burn?
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Date: 2019-09-19
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Comments and reviews: 10
rhialobran
Thatched houses are bonfires, they tend to smoulder very fast through a roof with few visible flames until the thatch is loosened. The best and only way to stop it is to make a break in the roof. Many thatch fires are caused by sparks from chimney fires, because the reed it tightly packed water has little effect. and an extinguisher is useless. If you have one keep a drag fork nearby, should it catch fire drag as much un-burnt material off as fast as you can, obviously safety is first. In 26 years I went to scores of thatch fires, rarely saved the more than the walls.
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Thatched houses are bonfires, they tend to smoulder very fast through a roof with few visible flames until the thatch is loosened. The best and only way to stop it is to make a break in the roof. Many thatch fires are caused by sparks from chimney fires, because the reed it tightly packed water has little effect. and an extinguisher is useless. If you have one keep a drag fork nearby, should it catch fire drag as much un-burnt material off as fast as you can, obviously safety is first. In 26 years I went to scores of thatch fires, rarely saved the more than the walls.
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0623kaboom
considering the thatch is typically exposed to the elements it will remain pretty moist but dry enough not to promote mold. and as a thick bundle will have a higher threshold for combustion than a small bunch like you tested. sure if a large ember landed on the thatch and was able to stay would set it ablaze. it would still take a fair amount of time to get beyond easy controls like removing the ember and tossing a bucket of water on the thatch to cool it back down
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considering the thatch is typically exposed to the elements it will remain pretty moist but dry enough not to promote mold. and as a thick bundle will have a higher threshold for combustion than a small bunch like you tested. sure if a large ember landed on the thatch and was able to stay would set it ablaze. it would still take a fair amount of time to get beyond easy controls like removing the ember and tossing a bucket of water on the thatch to cool it back down
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movinon04
great experiment-- just a tip that one day you might try inside a dwelling-- my great grandmother was a native American indian- and she lived in a teepee in her youth-- she told us that they would hang a animal hide above their hearth about 6 ft high in winter to keep sparks from traveling up to ceiling--they never burned inside during warm weather-- hope this helps somewhere along in the future - blessings
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great experiment-- just a tip that one day you might try inside a dwelling-- my great grandmother was a native American indian- and she lived in a teepee in her youth-- she told us that they would hang a animal hide above their hearth about 6 ft high in winter to keep sparks from traveling up to ceiling--they never burned inside during warm weather-- hope this helps somewhere along in the future - blessings
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Martin Bonnici
I'm not surprised about the ferocity of the burn once it got to combustible temp. I wonder what thatch would be like after sitting for a few years once it has been drenched and dried naturally a few times. I don't know if you could do it but maybe an interview with a thatcher would be very interesting? Great clip as usual.
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I'm not surprised about the ferocity of the burn once it got to combustible temp. I wonder what thatch would be like after sitting for a few years once it has been drenched and dried naturally a few times. I don't know if you could do it but maybe an interview with a thatcher would be very interesting? Great clip as usual.
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Handley Machine
Not sure if its available in the UK. But Ive read that if you take regular Borax laundry soap. And mix it with water to something like a skim milk consistency. And spray it on the thatch it will act as a fire retardant. Id like to see you guys experiment with that. Really enjoying this series. Good job guys.
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Not sure if its available in the UK. But Ive read that if you take regular Borax laundry soap. And mix it with water to something like a skim milk consistency. And spray it on the thatch it will act as a fire retardant. Id like to see you guys experiment with that. Really enjoying this series. Good job guys.
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frank_from_franconia
I can only speak for old fashioned franconian houses in the 5th to 8th century, they had a hole in the roof (also made out of straw/reet) to get the smoke out. Since the Saxons where originated in Germany, I guess the Saxon housings had them too.
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I can only speak for old fashioned franconian houses in the 5th to 8th century, they had a hole in the roof (also made out of straw/reet) to get the smoke out. Since the Saxons where originated in Germany, I guess the Saxon housings had them too.
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Grim Adventures of Bushcraft and Hiking
Dang you've got a awesome saxon house there that seems to be potentially a super big torch lol Great idea testing it out before even thinking of putting a fire inside it. Yeah I wouldn't want to have a fire in there now either.
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Dang you've got a awesome saxon house there that seems to be potentially a super big torch lol Great idea testing it out before even thinking of putting a fire inside it. Yeah I wouldn't want to have a fire in there now either.
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PaleGhost69
A firepit is obviously a bad idea, but what if you created a clay fireplace in the same style as your wood stove? Maybe fashion a coal brazier that you can bring some hot coals in to warm the area without any sparks flying
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A firepit is obviously a bad idea, but what if you created a clay fireplace in the same style as your wood stove? Maybe fashion a coal brazier that you can bring some hot coals in to warm the area without any sparks flying
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Broke Boys Bushcraft
I can see why you haven't put a firepit inside the saxon house now. For real though, i feel like if you caked the inside with clay or mud, then I bet you could have a fire inside there safely. Awesome test bro
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I can see why you haven't put a firepit inside the saxon house now. For real though, i feel like if you caked the inside with clay or mud, then I bet you could have a fire inside there safely. Awesome test bro
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James Ellsworth
MY TAKEAWAY: individual sparks do not light the roof thatch. It does not burn well if held erect. Using properly seasoned wood from a non-sparking species should work very well inside. Same for peat turves.
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MY TAKEAWAY: individual sparks do not light the roof thatch. It does not burn well if held erect. Using properly seasoned wood from a non-sparking species should work very well inside. Same for peat turves.
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