UK Bans Disposable Barbecues Amid Record Wildfire Season

The British government has temporarily banned the sale of disposable barbecues across England, Scotland and Wales, citing the serious risk posed by single-use grills during an ongoing drought and heatwave.

A country on the brink

Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned that the UK is a tinderbox, with 37 fires currently burning across England and Wales, four of them classified as major incidents. Emergency measures were agreed at a Cobra crisis committee meeting held earlier this week.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade stated that disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product and must not be sold in stores or online in Great Britain. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds called the move common-sense steps to protect lives and the environment.

Record fire season

England and Wales have recorded 1,017 wildfires this year, equalling last year's record. In Stourbridge, West Midlands, 19 homes were fully destroyed and 18 more damaged in a blaze that burned over 500 acres. Paramedics treated 54 people, with 19 hospitalised. The ban does not apply to Northern Ireland.