The federal government will take a look at banning disposable barbecues as wildfires proceed to rage throughout the UK, Andy Burnham has mentioned.
Disposable barbecues have been the reason for various severe fires over the previous couple of years, however campaigners had been essential of the prime minister’s failure to hyperlink these fires extra broadly to the local weather disaster.
In July this 12 months, firefighters referred to as to Cannock Chase discovered an space the dimensions of a soccer area blazing in the summertime warmth. The heathland in Sherbrook Valley, a part of a particular space of conservation, was dwelling to adders, toads and different wildlife, which had been thought to have suffered extreme harm, although no individuals had been harmed. The reason for the hearth was recognized as a disposable barbecue.
This was one in all two fires within the space that had been notably regarding, Staffordshire council officers mentioned, as a result of Cannock Chase is dwelling to protected wildlife, together with ground-nesting nightjars. Fires can destroy nests, chicks and very important heathland habitat, inflicting harm that may take a few years to get better from.
Disposable barbecues, which may be carried into public areas, current various issues: they continue to be sizzling, generally for hours, after they’re used, making them extraordinarily tough to get rid of safely, and after they can’t be carried away, individuals are pressured to depart them or place them into bins the place they keep it up smouldering.
Burying the barbecues, as some attempt to do, is not going to cease the hazard as these trays of charcoal can attain 450C and can keep it up burning underground, the place they’ll nonetheless ignite fires lengthy after use. On seashores, the buried coals and steel grills are additionally a hazard for walkers, and in fields for cattle.
Over the previous couple of years they’ve been recognized as the reason for various severe fires together with:
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Macclesfield, Cheshire, July 2026: a big woodland fireplace that was tackled by dozens of firefighters. Cheshire fireplace and rescue service mentioned a discarded barbecue was the possible trigger
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Three separate fires in sooner or later round London, July 2026: in Feltham, 6 hectares of heathland near homes had been broken. The London fireplace brigade urged individuals to not use disposable barbecues and to correctly extinguish cigarettes after crews tackled three grass fires.
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The Trossachs, Scotland, Might 2025: coated 2 hectares within the Glen Finglas area of the nationwide park. Glen Finglas is the largest Woodland Belief website within the UK. The barbecue understood to have sparked that fireplace was discovered with a burger nonetheless on the grill.
The Nationwide Farmers’ Union is now calling for a ban. Though Burnham has mentioned he could take into account a ban, authorities ministers have been set towards such measures.
Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for Excessive Peak in Derbyshire, 50 miles from Cannock Chase, has been engaged on methods to carry ahead a partial restriction on the gadgets in laws, which might keep away from a number of the issues of a blanket ban.
He mentioned: “It’s vastly welcome that the prime minister has mentioned he’ll take into account imposing a ban on disposable barbecues. He’s proper that the message must exit loud and clear that individuals shouldn’t be utilizing disposable barbecues in public locations right now.
“However we should be in a greater place subsequent summer time. Final 12 months was the worst on report for wildfires. This 12 months will surpass it. We have to settle for our local weather has modified and put in place measures to adapt, and a kind of is banning the usage of disposable barbecues in public locations.”
Moveable barbecues might be exempt, he mentioned, as they had been taken away after use. “The irony of ‘disposable barbecues’ is that they’re really very tough to get rid of. They will trigger bin fires, and except you keep round for a very long time till it has completely cooled down, there’s nonetheless a fireplace threat.”
Different igniters for fireplace embrace lightning strikes, carelessly tossed cigarettes, campfires, garbage and bottles. However it’s clear that disposable barbecues pose explicit issues. Analysis for the federal government printed final 12 months discovered greater than 1,600 fires had been attributable to barbecues in England from 2020 to 2024, although it didn’t specify whether or not these barbecues had been disposable, and the reason for a majority of the almost 4,500 fires listed was put down as unknown.
The Greenpeace political campaigner Angharad Hopkinson mentioned: “To really defend the general public, the federal government should additionally deal with the fossil-fuelled elephant within the room that’s driving excessive temperatures. The local weather disaster is staring us within the face, threatening our nationwide safety and straining our resilience to breaking level.
“Burnham has acknowledged the risks of those circumstances by convening Cobra; now he should match that urgency with an actual long-term plan to finish our reliance on fossil fuels – the final word driver of local weather change – as soon as and for all.”