An MP has urged retailers across the UK to stop selling disposable barbecues, citing a significantly heightened risk of wildfires.
The call follows major blazes tackled by firefighters in Suffolk, the Scottish Cairngorms, and Tintwistle Moor in Derbyshire in recent days, amidst a prolonged heatwave and widespread drought conditions.
Jon Pearce, the MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, said he wrote to major retailers, pressing them to halt the sale of disposable barbecues both in stores and online for the remainder of the summer. He emphasised the need for proactive measures to prevent avoidable wildfires in a changing climate, pledging to continue his campaign for a complete ban on their use in public spaces.
“By taking disposable BBQs off the shelves, retailers can help reduce the risk of preventable fires this summer,” Mr Pearce stated. “Alongside that, I’ll continue campaigning for the Government to introduce a ban on their use in public spaces.”
He added: “We rightly spend a lot of time talking about tackling climate change, but we also have to recognise that our climate has already changed. Hotter, drier summers mean we must do far more to adapt and make our communities, countryside and emergency services more resilient to the risks we’re already facing. Preventing avoidable wildfires has to be part of that response.”
The MP further stated: “This isn’t about stopping people enjoying the outdoors. It’s about protecting our countryside, supporting our firefighters and preventing avoidable fires before they start. If taking disposable BBQs off the shelves helps prevent even one wildfire this summer, it will have been the right decision.”
Several major retailers had already taken action prior to Mr Pearce’s latest intervention. Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, and M&S have not stocked disposable barbecues since 2022.
This year, Co-op, Morrisons, Tesco, and Home Bargains agreed to remove them from their shelves specifically in High Peak. Following his letter sent on Friday, Mr Pearce confirmed that Co-op and Sainsbury’s have now committed to halting sales nationwide.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by meteorological data and fire service reports. England and Wales are currently on track for the driest July since records began, according to the Met Office.
Fire chiefs have warned that wildfires are becoming a “recurring and growing feature of the risks facing our communities” as the climate shifts.
Crews responded to 393 wildfires across England and Wales in July, marking it as the busiest month on record for such incidents. The number of wildfire incidents recorded this year already matches the total annual figures seen in 2021, 2023 and 2024 combined, although the current figure remains below the same point last year, when prolonged drought and heat led to severe fire risks.
