Meta description: Learn what your campsite fire risk assessment needs in 2026, from pitch spacing and fire points to guest briefings and wildfire controls.
Welcome. Your 60-day right is a planning right, not a safety pass. Before guests arrive, assess fire risks, write down your findings and put the controls in place.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the shared and common outdoor areas of campsites, including temporary sites. Fire and rescue service guidance calls for a written fire risk assessment. The figures are straightforward. The details are easy to miss.
Who is the Responsible Person on a tent field?
The Responsible Person is usually the employer, owner or operator who controls the campsite and its shared areas. If you run the site, take responsibility for the assessment and the actions it requires.
You may ask a competent person to help. You still need to make sure the assessment fits your actual site. A copied template cannot account for your pitches, entrances, access tracks, grass, hedges or guest numbers.
For guidance, read Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s campsite advice, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s temporary campsite advice and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s campsite guidance.
Write your campsite fire risk assessment in 2026
Use three steps: assess, record, act.
Walk the site before opening. Identify who could be harmed, including campers, children, staff, disabled and older guests, contractors and firefighters. Note likely fire sources, such as BBQs, cooking equipment, electrical hook-ups, generators, smoking, vehicles and campfires.
Record how fire could spread. Consider tents, awnings, grass, hedges, waste and any temporary structures. Note your escape routes, fire points, access roads, gates, assembly area and emergency contact details.
Then list the controls you will use. Include who checks them, when you will check them and what happens if a control fails. Review the assessment when the layout, guest numbers, activities or weather changes. Keep the current copy on site.
Campsite pitch separation and access: the layout numbers
Mark out pitches before you accept bookings. Keep at least 6 metres of clear space between pitches. Allow only one vehicle within that space. Do not let vehicles park directly in front of tent entrances.
Plan fire-service access from the entrance to the site. Emergency vehicles should be able to get to within 90 metres of any pitch. Keep access roads at least 3.7 metres wide and gates and entrances at least 3.1 metres wide. Do not run overhead cables across access roads.
Check that the route can take the weight of emergency vehicles. Keep it clear throughout the season. Put the measurements on your site plan, then walk the route and confirm they work on the ground.
Fire points: two per site, within 90 metres
Provide at least two fire points per site. Keep every pitch no more than 90 metres from a fire point. The figure is 90 metres, not 30.
Each fire point needs:
- Two fire extinguishers.
- Two fire beaters.
- One manual alarm, such as a gong, klaxon or rotary sounder.
- Clear fire instructions, including how to call the fire service and your site postcode.
Add the What3Words location if available. Provide water tanks or buckets where your risk assessment says they are needed. Keep equipment visible, accessible and maintained.
Keep escape routes clear, lit and signed
Choose escape routes that guests can find and use at all times. Keep them clear and adequately illuminated. Do not let tents, awnings, guy ropes, parked vehicles or stored items block exits.
Put fire signs where guests can see them. Mark fire points and the route to your assembly area. Check that signs remain visible after tents are pitched and vehicles arrive.
Set a campsite BBQ policy and manage wildfire risk
Decide whether you will allow BBQs or campfires. Put the rules in writing and share them before arrival. If you allow them, require a non-combustible surface and keep them well away from tents and hedgerows.
Disposable BBQs and campfires are not recommended by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. Check local wildfire risk before each opening period. During drought, heatwaves or other conditions that raise the risk of fire spreading, suspend or ban BBQs and campfires. West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service advises operators to consider bans when conditions increase wildfire risk.
If you allow a bonfire, keep it at least 10 metres from buildings and downwind. Never use petrol. Never leave it unattended. If you plan to burn vegetation, advise Fire Control first. Follow your local fire and rescue service’s advice.
Manage grass, waste, electrics and cooking
Cut long grass regularly and remove the clippings. Store waste in suitable containers and remove it from the site. Keep dry vegetation and other combustible material away from likely ignition sources.
Use a competent electrician for new electrical installations. Make equipment suitable for outdoor use and weather exposure. Carry out regular visual checks and arrange testing. Display warning notices for overhead cables or electric fences that cannot be switched off.
Tell guests not to cook inside tents. Cooking in a tent creates a carbon monoxide risk. If you provide glamping tents or yurts, consider smoke detectors.
Brief guests and train staff
Give guests a fire briefing when they arrive. Explain the alarm signal, fire-point locations, escape routes, assembly area, BBQ rules and how to call 999. Put the site postcode and location details where they can find them.
Train staff on their roles in an emergency. Nominate people to use firefighting equipment and train them to do so. Check that everyone on duty knows how to raise the alarm, guide guests and contact the fire service.
Write an evacuation plan. Include arrangements for children and guests who are disabled, older or need help to leave. Keep the assembly area clear and make sure staff know how to account for guests.
Add fire layout details to your BC.2 site plan
In England, Class BC permits recreational campsite use for up to 60 days in a calendar year, subject to its conditions. Check the current Class BC rules and the requirements that apply to your site. Class BC covers tents, not towed caravans.
BC.2 requires annual written notification to the local planning authority, with a site plan showing facilities. Include your pitches, fire points, escape routes, assembly area, gates and emergency access. Keep the fire layout consistent with the site you actually operate.
In Wales, check the current Class BA conditions and any limits that apply to your land. Do not assume the 28-day rule and the 60-day permitted-development right are interchangeable. Check which planning route applies with your local planning authority before opening.
Planning permission is only one layer. Check whether separate licensing or other requirements apply. Open Sky Adventure’s legal guidance is a useful starting point, but confirm requirements for your site with your local authority and fire and rescue service.
Five checks for opening week
- Measure the 6-metre pitch gaps and keep vehicle access clear.
- Confirm emergency access reaches within 90 metres of every pitch.
- Check both fire points, their equipment, notices and distances.
- Walk escape routes and check lighting, signs, grass and waste.
- Brief staff and guests, then review your written assessment.
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