Barbecues are a fire hazard, especially when used in dry ground, and parts of England have seen their driest weather for 111 years. Homes were lost to fires in east London earlier this month during a heatwave where temperatures reached 40.3C. In Norfolk, nature reserves lost more than 100 acres (40 hectares) of habitat for rare ground-nesting birds and other animals after wildfires. Disposable barbecues were cited as the cause of many of the fires, including a serious blaze at Lickey Hills Park near Birmingham. National Trust properties, including Morden Hall Park, in south London, were hit by large areas of scorched earth after fires from disposable barbecues, and the cliffs of Torbay in Devon were set on fire. London’s fire commissioner, Andy Roe, on Friday called on all local authorities in the capital to implement bans. He said: “Despite our grass fire warnings we have still seen some people behaving carelessly and recklessly. On Saturday, firefighters tackled a serious blaze at Wanstead Flats [east London] caused by using disposable barbecues. “We need urgent action now to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues. They can be bought for as little as £5 and can cause untold damage, especially when the grass is as dry as it has been in recent weeks. “Last week is another example of how we are increasingly challenged by new extreme weather events as our climate changes and we develop long-term strategies to deal with more such events in the future.” Jake Fiennes, conservation manager at Holkham Nature Reserve in Norfolk, called for a sales ban after finding used disposable barbecues in fragile dune habitats. He said: “At what point does it make perfect sense to remove the sale of disposable barbecues. Three that have been found today and no doubt many more that have not yet been discovered. “The government keeps telling us they don’t want to tell us what to do. However, they banned smoking inside for our health, banned mobile phone use while driving for our safety. Why can’t they ban disposable barbecues to protect the environment!” Rebecca Pow, who was environment secretary until she resigned in protest at Boris Johnson’s behaviour, said she would be sympathetic to the ban. He said: “Recent devastating fires have demonstrated the danger portable barbecues can pose if not used responsibly. In anticipation of more extreme weather, I support all efforts to address the dangers that portable barbecues can present…while not limiting people’s opportunities to get out into our green space with all the benefits it brings.” The Labor Party is also calling for a complete ban on their sale. Holly Lynch, the shadow security secretary, said: “Given the harm that single-use barbecues cause, calls for a ban are getting louder. “The government needs to take this seriously and take action on disposable barbecues now.” Retailers including Waitrose and Aldi have announced they will no longer stock single-use barbecues because of the detrimental impact they have on the environment and wildlife. A petition on the UK government’s website has so far received more than 5,000 signatures.
