Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2013 | Page 140

NFU Mutual urges: 'take extra care
if you have a thatched property'
Following a spate of devastating fires this year, the UK’s
leading rural insurer has urged thatched property owners to
take extra care to protect their own homes from going up in
smoke.
The warning comes from NFU Mutual which has revealed
that between 2010 and 2012, the insurer paid out more
than £17 million in claims for fires relating to thatched
properties, with the average claim £112,978.
With the onset of colder winter weather meaning people
are beginning to use open fires and chimney stacks once
again, the insurer is asking people to take care.
With proper care a home with a thatched roof is no more
likely to have a fire than a home with a conventional roof.
However, if a thatch fire does ignite the fire can be very
difficult to control, spreads quickly and often leads to the
entire building, and all possessions inside, being lost.
Hugh Worsfold from NFU Mutual, said: “There’s
no doubt thatched properties can be among the most
attractive, warm and desirable homes in which people can
choose to live, but they must also be treated with cautious
respect.
“Arranging for an annual sweep, regular safety inspectio