Oily rags...

We have noticed an increase in the incidence of fires in restaurant and pub kitchens involving cotton tea towels. The tea towels become impregnated with vegetable oil, which is used widely in the catering trade. These tea towels are laundered at the end of the day, machine washed, tumble dried and then folded up and stored.

The oil impregnated cotton material, heated during tumble drying, starts a process of self-heating. If the tea towels are stored in such a way as to stop the heat build-up from dissipating, the material reaches auto-ignition temperature; the seriousness of the resulting fire is dependant on the surrounding materials and conditions.

We believe that the absence of pre-washing and the use of eco washing cycles at lower temperature may be contributory factors, but it may also be that tea towels are not being washed often enough, causing a build-up of vegetable oil over a period of time.

If you’ve encountered this type of problem then contact us for further advice at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We are pleased to acknowledge the help of Suffolk Fire Brigade with the information in this article. Visit their website by clicking here

Cycle lanes might not be safer after all...

This is the finding of the CTC – the UK’s national cyclists' organisation who found that motorists do not give cyclists as much room if they are in a cycle lane as they do when there are no such lane markings.

It seems that motorists feel that cyclists are safe within their lane or as CTC's Policy Co-ordinator Chris Peck said: "Cycle lanes have a part to play in improving road conditions for cyclists, but this research has raised concerns that they are not always the best solution and may in fact make cycling more unpleasant. Where a cycle lane exists, drivers may overtake with the belief that they can use the entire road space outside the cycle lane, and consequently may be paying less attention to the cyclist’s need for space."

The message is clear: more space and consideration for cyclists, please.

Fire in village store started deliberately - culprit escapes...

Recently one of our investigators was confronted with a fire in the roof of a village store. Our investigator noted no smoke staining on the upstairs windows and joists that were clearly damaged from above rather than below. He could find no electrical fault in the loft or the rooms below.

In the undamaged parts of the eaves there was a large build-up of nest material, comprising dry grasses, moss and assorted litter. Whilst ideal for nesting it is, of course, highly combustible. Nearby were some sparrow eggs, and numerous egg shells. More tellingly, amongst the nesting materials were numerous discarded filter tips from cigarettes. A neighbour was in the habit of leaving large quantities of food for the sparrows and there was a smoking area for the village store close by.

The conclusion: damage caused by sparrow or sparrows unknown, bringing a lit cigarette end into their nest. Policy liability engaged, chance of recovery zero!

Click here to read the the story as reported in the Daily Mail.