CAMPERS and caravan owners in North Yorkshire have been urged to carry out fire safety precautions when on holiday.

The advice from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service follows a number of incidents involving caravans and gas cylinders in the county over the last few days.

Station manager Alan Bell, the community risk officer for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said taking common sense precautions could avoid a ruined holiday or even save a life.

He said: "I think when you're in your own home, you're aware of the dangers and can address them.

"But sometimes, I think, when people go away, they drop their guard a little bit and don't really think about those sort of things.

"A lot of this is common sense, and you really want a holiday to be memorable for the right reasons, rather than what went wrong."

All caravans should be fitted with a smoke alarm and everyone sleeping in a caravan should be familiar with the available exits.

Also, matches and lighters should be kept out of the reach of young people and cooking pans should never be left unattended.

People camping in tents should make sure that they are six metres away from neighbouring tents and never use naked flames in or around the tents.

Gas cylinders should only be used by adults who have read the safety instructions and should be turned off at night or when they are not being used.

They should also be kept outside tents and caravans and should only be changed when completely empty.

Last Tuesday, a 61-year-old man from West Yorkshire suffered serious burns after a gas leak is believed to have caused an explosion at the caravan he was staying in at Leeming Bar.

On Thursday, firefighters had to put out a caravan fire on the A167, at Little Smeaton, near Northallerton, after a tyre burst into flames following a puncture.

For information on fire safety, contact your local fire station or call the fire safety department on (01609) 788545 or visit www.firekills.gov.uk