Disposable barbecues have been banned by the government due to the heatwave conditions.
The single-use grills “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”, advice published online by the government said.
It comes as dry weather and back-to-back heatwaves have created the perfect conditions for wildfires, with several starting in the New Forest, Cairngorms National Park in Scotland and another in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
“Disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product in the context of the ongoing weather and environmental conditions and must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time,” the government has said.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested that the measure could be introduced.
Why are disposable barbecues banned?
The UK is currently in its fifth heatwave and more than 70 per cent of the country is in drought, creating the perfect conditions for wildfires.
There have already been several wildfires across the UK due to the hot and dry weather and the government believes disposable barbecues have been responsible for several fires this summer.
The National Fire Chiefs Council said England and Wales had been struck by 1,017 wildfires this year – the same as last year’s record-breaking total – and at least 458 in July alone.
Barbecues can cause fires when smouldering ash and embers are carried by the wind onto areas of dry grass, according to the London Fire Brigade.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Mr Burnham said: “We’ve got 37 fires across England and Wales right now, four of them are major incidents.
“I can’t on this call today say to you that all of them are down to disposable barbecues, they’re not, and I wouldn’t, wouldn’t claim that.
“But it’s probable that some of them have been caused in that way.”
When will the ban start and where?
The temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues is set to come into effect almost immediately after retailers receive government advice.
“All retailers will be receiving guidance today, asking them to withdraw them from sale,” Mr Burnham told BBC Radio 5 Live.
It will mean shops can’t sell the grills and people should not use them in open spaces, such as parks and beaches to prevent more wildfires.
What should I do if I already have a disposable barbecue?
If you have already bought a disposable barbecue, it still shouldn’t be used while the ban is still in place.
Many local authorities and figures have long called for a ban on disposable barbecues due to the severe risk of causing wildfires in the summer.
Following the Wareham Forest fire, sparked by a single-use grill in 2020, Dorset Council has campaigned for people not to have BBQs and campfires in areas at high risk of fire.
Councils including Brighton and Hove and Islington have already banned the use of disposable barbecues in parks, beaches and open spaces.
Brighton and Hove council say the grills pose a significant fire risk when in use and if they are not disposed of properly, and have been the cause of bin fires.
The New Forest in Hampshire is also a barbecue-free zone, due to it being a fire risk.
