The Government has introduced a temporary prohibition on selling disposable barbecues amid the current heatwave. According to official guidance published online, the single-use grills "have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months".
The statement continued: "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."
Prime Minister's warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham had indicated earlier this week that such action might be taken. Elsewhere, at least two people have been confirmed as injured after multiple houses were set alight in Stourbridge, Birmingham, on Thursday (August 13).
The number of wildfires across the UK in the last 24 hours has been significant. Some of the wildfires burning across the country will have been started by disposable barbecues, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said.
Retailers to withdraw grills
It comes after he announced a temporary ban had come into force. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "All retailers will be receiving guidance today, asking them to withdraw them from sale."
He added: "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 in that way."
Wildfire in Fife
This comes after a wildfire tore through a beauty spot in Fife. Fire crews raced to Lochore Meadows Country Park near Lochgelly after the alarm was raised shortly before 7.40pm on Monday, August 10.
Two teams from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were sent to tackle the gorse blaze which tore through an area near the banks of Loch Ore. At the height of the fire between 20 and 30 square metres of ground was alight while a huge plume of smoke filled the evening sky.
