The Government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, stating they pose a “significant risk to the public” amid heatwave conditions, according to advice published online. The Prime Minister called a meeting earlier this week in response to a prolonged spell of exceptionally hot and dry weather.
Risk and Weather Conditions
The Met Office recorded 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday – the second time this year the country has seen temperatures reach 38C. The West Midlands was subject to an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Thursday before multiple fires were reported across the region.
According to Press Association, a total of 54 people have been treated by paramedics, including 19 who were admitted to hospital. In an update on Friday morning, West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had attended “a number of serious fires” across the region “as hot and dry conditions continue”.
Firefighter Injuries and Calls for Ban
Six firefighters have been taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion after battling wildfires in Staffordshire, the county’s fire service said. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Andy Burnham said people should not be using single-use grills “at this time” amid a “significant problem” of wildfires in the south, where a blaze hit protected heathland in the New Forest, Hampshire.
On a visit to Stevenage earlier on Wednesday, Mr Burnham spoke about the possibility of a ban. He said: “You know, the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable BBQs, that people can take out. I understand why people want to go out and do that. But we need to, in my view, have a situation where we almost just have a temporary ban on those things. We’re going to look at that issue today.”
