The UK government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable BBQs as wildfires continue to spread across the country. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) said the single-use grills pose a "significant risk to the public and the environment". The ban covers all sales, both in stores and online, and will remain in place until weather conditions improve and the wildfire risk subsides.
Government cites safety concerns
The BIST stated that disposable BBQs "cannot be considered a safe product" under current conditions and "must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time" in Great Britain. The move follows a series of devastating wildfires, including a major blaze in the West Midlands that sent six firefighters to hospital.
Prime Minister's response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called in the military and warned smokers not to risk setting light to "tinderbox" Britain as he responds to the summer heatwave and wildfires. He said the country must "face up" to the "changing climate" and transition to "more clean energy". Mr Burnham added that plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services, noting "I've never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted, smouldering." He described Britain as "a tinderbox right now", with "37 fires smouldering around the country".
Record heat and emergency pressure
Britain recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with a provisional temperature of 38.1C in Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous high of 38C on June 28. The London Ambulance Service has faced unprecedented demand, receiving around 6,000 calls a day—more than during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. London's green spaces, including Hyde Park and Blackheath, have turned brown and barren as firefighters combat spikes in grass and wildfires. Frontline staff, including paramedics and bus drivers, are working in sweltering conditions, with a strike of around 1,500 bus drivers starting over working conditions, with some reporting temperatures of 40C in their cabs.
