Andy Burnham has told people in London and other parts of drought-hit Britain to stop using disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires. The Prime Minister said the Government was considering a ban on these BBQs as the capital and other areas were hit by a fifth heatwave in 2026.
Heatwave forecast and tinderbox parks
Temperatures are forecast to reach 33C in London on Wednesday and 36C on Thursday. Already, London’s parks have been turned into “tinderbox” parched lands where a blaze could easily spread. Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to create fire breaks in their gardens to protect their homes. The London Fire Brigade has also warned of the dangers that major blazes could start in people’s gardens.
Burnham’s warning on BBQs
“There is obviously a significant problem of wildfires in the south,” Mr Burnham said on a visit to Stevenage. “The New Forest fire is a great concern; we have seen them in northern areas, as well as Suffolk recently.”
The Prime Minister then sought to issue a “loud and clear” message on disposable BBQs. “People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time,” he added. “The wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable barbecues.” He urged people to take particular care when discarding cigarette butts to make sure they are properly extinguished.
Emergency Cobra meeting
Fire chiefs are also asking people to dispose of rubbish as sunlight on glass bottles, or shards of glass, can start blazes. Mr Burnham was due to chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused widespread wildfires and plunged many parts of the country into drought.
The Prime Minister was set to meet with ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK on Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures of 33C forecast, and up to 38C on Thursday. Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Home Office, and Department for Health will attend. The Environment Agency will also be present.
It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June. A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government understood firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather.
National emergency warning
On Tuesday a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” amid ongoing wildfires. The Met Office said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record. Rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued by the forecaster for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
The Government urged the public to pay attention to UK Health Security Agency heat health alerts, and advised people should drink plenty of fluids and check in on family, friends and neighbours who may be at high risk. Transport chiefs in London are also advising people to travel with a bottle of water.
The London Fire Brigade has responded to hundreds of wildfires in recent months. Most major UK supermarkets suspended sales of disposable barbecues in recent weeks, which is understood to have been in line with voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council. Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, also wrote to retail giants last week asking them to stop selling single-use grills for the rest of the summer.
